From A To Z Round 2
by restive nature
Summary: The second round of Alphabet Prompts. They will not be in order, but all feature Max and Alec! Ratings will go up to M but mostly be K
1. Kill

Title: From A To Z Round 2

Chapter Title: Kill

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: sadness

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: They never gave much thought to the term "do or die" until moments like this.

Spoilers/ Timeline: Early season two.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

**A/N2: Just a little throw back to season one.**

**K is for Kill**

"Okay Max," Alec sighed. They had been standing, rooted in the same spot, a cemetery of all places, for the last fifteen minutes and while that was not really a problem, his curiosity was getting the better of him. "Not that I'm against breaks during the work day, but why here?"

"Shut up Alec," she replied tersely and while he heard it all the time from her, there was something tight in her voice that caught his attention and kept him from dismissing the latest snarl.

"Seriously," he sighed again. He gestured to the woman that Max appeared to be watching, one that was kneeling a short distance away, tending to a grave, wondering just why Max was watching her so intently. "What's the deal here?"

There was a long, quiet moment before his erstwhile friend shifted a little and Alec was surprised to feel that he was actually going to get an answer instead of another insult.

"I killed him," she murmured. Alec's brows furrowed as he ducked his head to hear her. Her words were very quiet and he kind of figured that she was whispering so that the words didn't carry to the woman at the grave. He would have said she was the mother, given the ladies' apparent age and dedication to her care of the grave, but you never knew. "There was a hostage situation, group took a little boy. Had to get him back."

"And the problem is?" Alec demanded, keeping his voice low. Actions like such as she had committed were understandable, even without their Manticore given abilities. It was a crap world that didn't always work the way it should.

"I never knew his name until now," she gestured with her chin, to where the women had set aside a small framed picture of the man, before setting to work clearing weeds from the head stone.

"If it was a hostage situation, didn't they have coverage on it?" he wondered, thinking that it would have been easy to get a hold of the information afterwards, had she cared to.

"Plenty," she snorted delicately. "It wasn't that."

"Then what was it?" he wondered. She shrugged one shoulder.

"He's the one I regret... sometimes," she admitted with a small shudder.

"Why?" Alec wanted to know. This was another interesting little tidbit coming out into the light of day.

"He was going to kill Lydecker," Max told him flatly. "I made a last split second decision not to let him. And some days I wonder..."

Alec tilted his head to the side, considering that. "I suppose a lot of crap would have been avoided, but then..."

"What?"

"You never would've met me," he teased, automatically going for the joke to lighten the tension in the air. It worked, as she chuckled.

"Some day, some how, I'm almost certain that you would have gotten loose," Max teased back, a rarity with her. "No way in hell Manticore could contain your havoc wreaking."

"Just bidin' my time before the plot for world domination kicks in," he bantered right back, relieved to see that she had shifted again, taking her seat and setting her pedals to move on. He followed after her and caught up after a few revolutions of their wheels. "But you know," he continued, "ain't no use in thinking about what if, right? I mean I'm pretty sure we've both figured that much out."

"No use in it," she agreed, "but that doesn't still mean we don't indulge. Or can you tell me honestly Alec...?"

He couldn't, though it was no bother. Sentimentality had its place, which hopefully, wasn't often in a transgenic's life. Like a duck, letting it roll off his back, he changed the subject and Max let him. It was just, he decided, another little piece in the puzzle that she was.


	2. Date

Title: From A To Z Round 2

Chapter Title: Date

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: friendship

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: The truth about that horrible day comes out.

Spoilers/ Time line: Post series, about mid February following the start of the siege.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

**D is for Date**

He'd been looking all over for her. Max, instead of haunting her usuals, had disappeared completely. And while Alec was pretty sure that she wouldn't have taken off from TC itself, not after the disastrous events the last time she had; to have an evening, reconnecting with Cale, Alec did wonder. The pair of them seemed to disregard everything in light of being together. Well, excepting the virus that Max still carried in her system.

What had him wondering, was that the last person to have seen her, was one that had given her a bottle of post Pulse champagne that they'd scavenged, in return for some pretty hefty payment. So Max was loose in Terminal City somewhere with some non-vintage hooch and needing someone to share it with. Unless she planned on drinking the bubbly alone, which was just a total waste. And kind of pathetic in his mind.

Finally, he was directed to another building, and knowing that it was still abandoned, since they hadn't enough material to spare for the work needed to be done before it could be inhabited, Alec grew even more puzzled. He wondered if he were going to be intruding on some sort of special "meeting", and then decided that he didn't care.

Over the months since the siege started, he and Max had developed even more of an understanding and considered each other family now. Not quite the same as how she saw her original unit, but maybe like those black sheep's that could be tolerated simply because they were blood, but only in short doses.

When he finally came upon her, of course on the tallest portion of the highest building in TC, sitting at the corner of the complex, legs dangling over the side, Alec didn't bother to hide his amused snort. She glanced over her shoulder at him, and grinned.

"Hey," she greeted, not seeming at all perturbed that he was there and Alec took that as a good sign. "What are you doin' up here?" The question was just a curiosity, not an accusation or fueled by suspicions at his motives.

"Lookin' for you, obviously," he answered as he pulled up beside her and saw that her hands were busy uncorking the champagne that she'd gotten.

"Well, you found me," she shrugged and turned her attention back to the crinkly foil paper wrapped around the bottle neck. "What'd you need?"

Alec took a seat next to her before answering. "Got an idea for a heist. Was wondering if you might want in?" The derisive look she threw him was so familiar, that he translated in his mind instantly. _Are you crazy? Do you even have to ask? Of course I want in, you idiot._ "All right, all right," he chuckled, holding his hands up. "I'll figure it out and we can sit and argue over it later," he teased, since that was their usual MO. Max nodded and carefully unwrapped the foil in one full piece. Instead of crumpling it up, she stuffed it in her jean pocket and then chuckled.

"Joshua asked me to save bit and pieces for his art projects with the kids," she explained. Alec nodded, as Josh had asked the same of him and everyone else around.

"So what are we drinking too?" he asked as he got himself comfortable next to her, swinging his legs over the side and allowing his heels to drum slightly against the brick shale covering that was already crumbling off and had been for years.

"We?" Max threw him another look.

"Well yeah," he protested mildly. "Nothing more pathetic than drinking alone, right?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things," Max chuckled. She started to ease the plastic plug that had replaced cork, from the bottle neck, pointing it away from them. "But no, It's just an anniversary of sorts."

"Oh," Alec drawled, trying to figure that out, since yeah, February, but Valentine's day had come and gone with little fuss. And there was nothing of note that he could think of from the past few years, at least that he was aware of. "Ah Maxie, is it your birthday?" he teased, hoping to get some idea, though he knew from before that the day she'd actually chosen was several weeks previous. January first to be precise, which he figured must be an easy day to add a year to her age, since Manticore hadn't been big on sharing details like that. But perhaps Cale had discovered that for her.

"Huh?" she grunted. "Nope." She paused in her ministrations for a moment and peered at him curiously before her face cleared and made way for some surprise. "Do you seriously-?" she began but then stopped herself. "Oh, you probably don't want to remember," she murmured, glancing down at her hands, full of the green tinted bottle.

"Don't want to remember what?" Alec prompted, trying to think of why this exact date would be important to him too, since that was obviously what she worried over.

"It's the anniversary of he day we busted out," she offered quietly. "The first time, I mean," she spoke a little louder and then peered at him.

"Okay," he hedged, wondering why she looked so concerned all of a sudden and it was starting to unnerve him that he wasn't connecting the dots, like she seemed to want him to. "What?"

"Sorry," she grimaced and turned her face away. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it."

"Talk about what?" Alec was a little lost and he didn't like that.

"That day," she said quietly. She chewed at her lip for a moment and then shuddered slightly. "I can only imagine..."

"Imagine what?" Alec demanded, just a little irritable and then it dawned on him, why she was a little jumpy. "Oh jeez Max," he chuckled, waving one hand dismissively. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?" she questioned a little harshly. "Alec, you don't need to be nice. I know what all the twins were subjected to when we ran. Believe me, all of them that I've met, you aside, were very eager to share the hatred."

Alec shook his head and ran one hand through his hair. "Yeah, but not that day," he explained quickly. "That was just another normal day."

"But-!" she began and Alec laughed, though he knew there was a little darkness in there.

"Yeah, it happened," he told her. "Just not immediately. It took time to filter to the other bases about Lydecker's failure." He grinned as her eyes widened slightly. "And a little more time after that for the bigwigs to wonder if there might be a genetic link. They didn't automatically assume that all us twins were gonna run because our counterparts did. They checked whatever they could to prove or disprove that. It wasn't fun, but we survived, obviously."

"So you had no clue, that day?" she asked softly and Alec shrugged.

"Nope," he smacked his lips. "There were rumblings going on, of course. Nothing we'd be told about, but we were all aware that things were... tense... with the upper management. Took about a week for the decision to be handed down and all of us hauled into psy-ops. Things kinda went to hell then."

Max winced again and then sighed. "I am sorry about that Alec. We had no clue. I mean, we didn't know about you guys."

"I know," Alec waved her apology away. They'd already been over this, the first time another of the twins, Max's in the form of X5-453 had shown up. "It's over and honestly, I'm over it. I mean, after all Max, how could you be recaptured if you hadn't escaped in the first place? And when you were, well, ultimately we're all free now 'cause of what you guys did."

"But-!" she began to protest, but Alec quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, ignoring her glare.

"It might be a crappy existence at the moment, but we're free from Manticore and that's what counts," he told her, finding a modicum of conviction to help his case. "We'll figure out freedom from the rest as we go. We're good at that, right?" He could feel her grin under his hand and pulled away, relieved that she hadn't slicked him up with saliva like she'd done one time that he'd dared that. Of course, he'd used her hair as a towel, so that might have kept her from it this time.

"All right," Max grinned. "So, tonight, we'll celebrate my freedom. Next week we'll celebrate yours," she decided as the plastic cork finally burst free under her ministrations.

"Sounds good," Alec agreed with a tiny smile, "but I don't think the bubbly will last that long."

"Well then it's a good thing I also got a bottle of twelve year old Scotch then, huh?" she chuckled as she held the overflowing bottle away from herself. Once the stream had slowed, she took a swig and then handed the bottle to him. He took the sticky surfaced glass and eyed it disconsolately.

"You've got Scotch, yet we're drinking this swill?" he grunted.

"My night, my drink," Max chuckled. "'Sides, I was savin' the Scotch for your birthday gift. But this'll work too, right?"

"Ah Maxie," Alec sighed, pleased that she had thought of him in so familiar a manner. Really pleased. It was a good warm feeling. Probably would get better after he had some of that Scotch in his system, but he could wait. It would be worth it. "I'm touched." He eyed the bottle again and then shrugged. "All right, it's a date." He nodded and she returned the gesture and then he raised the bottle. "Here's to you Maxie girl. Your health and all that happy crap."

"To freedom," she grinned as he upended the bottle and took a healthy dose.

It wasn't all that bad, even though the bubbles tickled, just like he remembered. They passed the bottle back and forth, trading stories and quips and sallies as they passed the night away. Sometimes it got a little maudlin, especially when Max drained the last of the droplets away and wouldn't let Alec just drop the bottle to the ground below them. But every time it threatened to get to be too much of a tear jerking moment, one or the other would remind each of their date next week and then talk moved on.

Finally the wind was getting to be too much and the discussion moved indoors, slowly, ambling along, chatting and laughing like the friends that they barely admitted that they had become. When they reached her apartment complex

Alec leaned against her door jamb. They eyed one another for a few minutes and then, with nothing else needed, Max threw him a smile that said so much more than she could ever express with words and then slipped inside.

Alec watched until her feet disappeared out of his view and then pushed away for the walk to his own apartment. He looked over Terminal City as he walked, in the dark, not as a resident, but as someone else might see it. But in the end, all the broken down crumbling buildings and trash blowing around, it didn't matter. They had moments like these and dates like next week to look forward too.

It wasn't bad, this strange little life that they had made for themselves.


	3. Yet

Title: From A To Z Round 2

Chapter Title: Yet

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-15 (for mention of Alec's "boys" & language)

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: friendship

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: Thus far, they were not what you would call friends.

Spoilers/ Time line: This takes place after the episode "Fughedabouttit" but references events from "Harbor Lights" as well.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

A/N2: This was actually a humorous little fiction that I had in my head for a long time now. I thought it would fit in well here. It actually stemmed from watching the commentary of an episode on Season three of the show "Alias" when someone commented on one of the actors jumping out of his chair with ease after he had just been shot. It kind of stuck with me when I was re-watching the fight scene in Dark Angel.

**Y is for Yet**

Alec sat on his couch, well, collapsed was more like it. He couldn't believe that the events of the evening had ended like this. It had all started out so innocuously, he decided as he nursed at the last few dribbles of Scotch that Normal had managed to urge from the bottom of the bottle, declaring that his "Champ" deserved it.

If it hadn't been for Mia, blast her to hell or something like that, roping him into her freakin' scheme to help her boyfriend. Man, Alec wondered '_what the hell is it with transgenic females and their ordinary boyfriends?'_ Because it was also the other transgenic female and her 'not like that' boy toy that had thrown the other monkey wrench in the plans.

Namely let Alec make a fuck ton of money, relive the glory days for just one night and then walk away from it all, as he had intended the first time around. But now, he was sitting on his dilapidated couch and there went the dreams of being able to scrounge up a better one, or hell, the car that he'd had his eye on. Keeping to jellybeans and rice instead of a nice meal here or there. Wondering if he'd ever walk normally again.

Alec smirked as he upended the glass for the umpteenth time, only to be disappointed. Maybe he could get some pointers from Logan about that last thought. At least there was one relief right then, aside from the Scotch. He'd been able to convince Normal that he would be fine now that he was home and the man had left half an hour ago after swearing to wreak workly vengeance on the she-devil that had done this to Alec.

Not like it would matter to Max. She'd gotten what she had wanted, regardless of who else was hurt in the process. Namely Alec. And Normal threatened her so often with firing that it was like water off of a duck's back. And the far sectors? Max knew them better than she knew the back of her hand. It didn't matter to her. She had her sugar daddy to run to when it all got to be too much.

Alec wasn't so far gone though, as to not notice the footsteps outside his door. There was a knock and Alec groaned silently. He had told Normal that he'd be fine. Though he could understand why the guy was so concerned. He'd been pretty dazed by that blow Max had delivered. But some fresh air and his equilibrium had been fairly restored.

"I'm fine Normal!" he called out. "I told you, I'll be in tomorrow."

There was no answer, but neither did the footsteps move away and Alec tensed. Who else would be swinging by this late at night? And even as he wondered that, he noted that the doorknob, that he was sure he had locked, slowly began to turn. He swore silently to himself. He'd had enough fighting this evening and if he had to, he'd beat down whatever problem was coming through that door. He just didn't want to have to.

But luck, if it could be called such, was with him when the door swung open and there stood his arch nemesis of the average kind. Just looking at her smirking face as she returned her lock picks to her hip pocket made him groan.

"Well as much fun as it is, you breaking into my home, yet again," Alec snarked before she could say anything, "my boys are nowhere near ready for you to be anywhere within a five mile radius. So thanks for dropping in uninvited. Please, feel free to leave." His tone was perky, but forced and Max ignored him as usual, sauntering in and slamming the door behind her. Standing in the entryway, she held up two bags.

"I brought a peace offering," she told him and Alec grimaced at her. Peace offering? That meant she felt bad. And as well she should. Girls would never ever understand the absolute... gah, she was getting closer now!

"So throw it on the couch and get out," he growled. He could almost feel the boys wincing and receding further as her unique scent reached his body. How the hell did she smell so fresh and... and vibrant? After what she had done?

"That's real nice Alec," Max scoffed as she took a seat on the couch, with the two bags between them. Out of one she pulled a bottle of his preferred Scotch and Alec was reaching his hand out, glass empty, waiting to be filled before he had even registered it. Max shook her head, resigned, but grinning still as she opened the bottle and poured him a generous measure before recapping the bottle and settling it on the floor between them. Alec realized as he inhaled that first sip, that she was being smart. She gave him Scotch, he was not sharing. Not with the likes of her. He watched her warily as she reached back into that bag and then relaxed as she removed a six pack of beer. With his free hand, he retrieved one, finding it blessedly chilled and settled it between his legs. He hissed at the contact against the bruising on the very inside of his thigh and then again as the cold transferred itself through his sweats.

"Yeah, I brought those to be drunk, not..." she waved her hand at him and Alec spared her a withering glance.

"I don't have any ice," he told her flatly and she nodded.

"I have the answer for that," she announced and opened the other paper bag. She withdrew a half gallon of... and Alec's eyes widened. Was that ice cream? Chocolate? Excellent.

"Excellent," he announced taking it from her and switching out the two. The packaging of the ice cream was a little more awkward, but it was also frozen, not just chilled. And more than anything, right now, Alec wanted to be numb.

"You know," Max was frowning and Alec tried to drown out her voice, humming inside his mind, but it wasn't working. "I was planning on eating some of that."

"Jeez Max," he grunted, "it's not like I've got crotch cooties."

"Are you five?" she retorted instantly and Alec rolled his eyes, setting the Scotch down to open the bottle of beer and taking a swig of that as well. He eyed the rest of the six pack. If she'd been planning on spitting things then he was going to need to down his half fast to get anywhere near a buzz and maybe get her to leave. He held the bottle up in a mock salute.

"Never fear Max," he smiled as fakely as was possible, "after that lovely power kick you delivered, my boys have receded so far up, their becoming besties with my liver right now and considering taking up permanent resident as long as you're in the vicinity. So no fears of contamination, huh?"

And even though he'd meant it to be an obvious reminder of her outrageous behavior, Max took it another way and laughed. She busied herself pulling out yet another something else from her little bag of goodies, spoons, the long handled plastic kind, this time. Alec, realizing that she was serious, yanked the one she held out to him from her and pulled the top off of the container. He eyed her and not wanting for her to get near him with anything, not even a blunt plastic eating utensil, scraped up a good portion and dumped it on the lid before handing it to her. She smiled and dug into the portion he had allotted her even as he did the same.

"Did I really kick you that hard?" she asked after a moment and Alec stared at her incredulously.

"Uh yeah," he finally managed to get out, lacing his tone with as much sarcasm as he could inflect. "Where the hell were you?" He shook his head, seeing that she didn't look one ounce of remorseful at all. "Should have seen it coming though," he muttered to himself, glancing away from her unrepentant self.

"Well yeah," she agreed, licking some chocolate from the bottom of the spoon before returning it to the lid. "I gave you plenty of time to block it."

"Maybe," Alec had to agree after a moment. To anyone else, it had happened pretty quickly and he cursed himself again for being unable to resist her taunt and oh so obvious trap. That ring girl had looked fairly clean, definitely interested and at that point, Alec had had very different plans in mind for the portion of evening after the fights. But really, Max had backed off, taunted him and when he'd turned back to her, he'd seen it in her eyes. He at least, could be honest with himself. "I just didn't think you'd resort to such a frickin' dirty trick."

At least he seemed to have surprised her, spoon aloft as her eyes widened. "Why the hell not?" she finally managed before popping the spoon in her mouth.

"Figured it was really cheap of you to do that to a guy," Alec offered. And that was true. Somehow, Max had gotten a very persnickety road map of ethics and morals from dealing with Cale. It was all very convoluted and headache inducing on the best of days. " Any guy," he continued, "even one you hate."

"I don't hate you Alec," Max replied immediately and Alec wanted to scoff. "Yeah, I was seeing red there for a while, but who wouldn't? But hate you? No."

Alec sighed. Her actions certainly spoke differently than her words. But he was too tired and sore to argue. "Sure Max. Whatever."

And she chuckled. Damn her, she found this way too amusing. "Did I _really_ kick you that hard?" The glare he threw at her should have scorched and blown her to ash where she sat. She didn't quail under it, but "I'm sorry I kicked you that hard. I was more aiming for your groin area, not specifically... you know? But you flinched and well." She bit at her lip and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I wasn't trying to really hurt you Alec. I was just trying to end the fight." Alec rolled his eyes and then was surprised to hear her admit, "mostly that, anyway."

And now she was finally being honest. So now that the pain of earlier had finally started to recede, thanks in large part to the ice cream and alcohol that _she_ had brought, Alec found that he was tired of being angry about it. It happened, he'd survive and tomorrow, they'd be back to their usual tease and snark, reluctant looking after of each other so they could survive and thrive. And that was why he was able to be, as he always seemed to be, the bigger man.

"Yeah I'm sorry too," he offered. They continued to eat the cold confection and Max reached for one of the beers. She cracked the top and then turned to regard him.

"So why are you sorry?" she asked, sounding puzzled.

"For callin you a bitch," Alec told her, wondering what about this was rocket science.

He was treated to a sight that he rarely saw. Max sat there, ice cream and beer apparently forgotten, her mouth hanging open as she gaped at him.

"What?" he demanded, feeling decidedly more uncomfortable, the longer she kept that stupid look on her face.

"That's what you're apologizing for?" she demanded icily, the dumb look melting into a heated glare. That was more usual and Alec straightened a little.

"Well yeah?" he agreed, feeling a little dumb himself now. Why couldn't Manticore have offered a 'figuring out women 101' course? Oh right, 'cause even though women made up over a quarter of their operations, not counting the soldiers, they still had no clue what made women tick. "Is that wrong?" he sneered. Max scoffed and dropped her spoon onto the makeshift platter.

"You know I have no problem with anyone calling it like it is," she snorted. "Even you Alec. And I am a bitch."

Alec squinted at her, wondering suddenly if she'd spiked the Scotch and perhaps that was why she hadn't touched any. She was making the kind of sense that rarely did. But like a sore tooth, he just couldn't leave it alone.

"So what the hell is your problem now, then?" he demanded irritably. "Are you pissed 'cause I didn't roll over and play dead for dear ol' Logie boy? Or maybe because I wasn't super powered enough not to be bamboozled by our visiting psy-mare Mia while she was running around manipulating _everyone_," he stressed, because he knew perfectly well that Max had to have gotten the whammy too, at some point. "What did I do that wasn't enough for you Max?"

His little rant over, Alec realized that rather than looking pissed, she looked... hurt?

"Where you paying any attention to our fight tonight?" she demanded on a hiss. Alec frowned at her, completely lost, but it seemed monumental to her, so he took a moment to recall what had happened after he was just about declared the winner. Max took up the challenge, they argued, she jumped the bell, threw some punches that he took and then seeing that she wasn't backing down, fought back. He'd blocked her kick, retaliated and called her a bitch. Then she'd pulled her little stunt and... he winced as the remembered pain came rushing back to his mind and all the good the alcohol and ice cream had done was nearly negated. He frowned, wondering what the hell else there could be that she figured deserved an apology.

"You know what? Forget it," Max snarled softly, setting her beer on the floor and throwing her share of the food to the side and moving to stand. Realizing that she was pissed for reasons unknown and knowing that it was better to get it out of the way now, rather than having this hanging over his head in the coming weeks, if not months, Alec darted his upper body forward, catching her wrist and jerking her back.

She cried out, in pain and Alec's eyes widened as she crashed back down to the couch, checking his grip on her wrist. He hadn't pulled that hard, he told himself, but let go of her just in case, completely baffled as she doubled over. Her free arm, the one he hadn't grabbed was clutching at her abdomen and he wondered just a split second what had happened, aside from...

Oh right, he'd kicked her in the abdomen during the fight. He shook his head quickly. It hadn't been that hard, he reassured himself. She was an X-5, they were built to handle this stuff.

"Max?" he questioned, his voice more laced with concern than he knew he should show, given how she reacted to it in past months. Finally, with a grunt and a muttered curse word that had Alec raising his eyebrows, as he'd never heard _that_ one slip from her pristine lips, she cautiously righted herself. He was about to ask what the hell was going on when she used her other hand to straighten out her shirt.

It was wet.

But, even as he wondered if she'd dripped chocolate ice cream on herself, he realized that the color of the stain wasn't right. And she hadn't been drinking and he could have sworn that her shirt had been completely dry. Slightly worried and just a little scared now, he shoved his own food stuff away, not caring where it landed as he twisted in his seat and reached for the soft fabric. She hissed and tried to bat his hands away, but Alec was adamant and knew that she wouldn't just tell him. He had to see for himself. All he needed was two inches. And then he had his answer.

He stared down at the bandage, peeking out of the top of her jeans. It was weeping with moisture and he slowly let go of her t-shirt and raised his eyes to her stony face.

"What the hell happened to you?" he demanded softly and then more angrily, "and what the hell were you thinking of? Gettin' in the ring with me when you're injured?"

"I was shot. Remember?" she demanded, straightening her shirt once more. "In the stomach, just a little over a week ago. And you wouldn't quit, so I had to stop you the only way I had available."

"You should've healed by now," Alec grunted. "Max, that's not healed," he pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah well, avoiding White at the hospital caused a few popped stitches, plus a minor infection from all that crud I was crawling through, and then popping them again from moving wrong and then tonight," she explained gruffly, avoiding his gaze. "Plus Dr. Carr thinks that the virus might be interfering with how quickly I'm healing because my body is constantly dealing with it."

"Damn," Alec breathed out. How had he not noticed all of this? Well, of course, it wasn't like Max confided in him, unless she had too. Like now. But still. No wonder she'd been pissed tonight. Regardless of the not sharing, he knew that she'd been shot and even though it should have scabbed over and started the healing process long since, still it was a real...

"It'll heal," Max pointed out dryly. "It's just taking a little longer than normal."

"Yeah, you should have named me Dick," he decided, for when in doubt, make 'em laugh, "cause that's exactly how I feel right now."

"I reconsider your name on a daily basis," Max chuckled and Alec didn't feel any relief in the sound. So he did something that was reserved for the huge tings. Like costing her five grand so that his head wouldn't be blown to smithereens.

"I'm sorry Max," he apologized with all sincerity, not a stretch, since he really felt it. "For not remembering you were hurt," he clarified, "or checking in to see how you were dealin'. And for not being more appreciative, I mean, you know, for the booze and ice cream..." he trailed off, pleased that Max's face had softened.

"Yeah," she nodded, relaxing slightly back into the deep cushions, "I would have been here sooner, but I swung by Carr's first to get patched up again."

"Ahhh," Alec groaned, throwing his head back and staring up at the ceiling, "well now you can call me Heel on top of Dick. Certainly fits right now."

"No prob," she offered with a shrug. "It doesn't matter," she dismissed, making Alec's misery just slightly worse. It was no wonder Max never seemed to have any faith in him and in that moment, he couldn't really blame her. "It's not like you were there when I was shot, or with the rest, you know, after."

Alec sat up again, and turned in his seat, "you know that if I'd heard or been told, I would have been there in a heartbeat, to help," he told her in all seriousness and when her cheek twitched, as if she were suppressing a smile, continued. "Or annoy, whatever would help."

"Yeah," she murmured after a long moment of consideration. "I know you would have."

"Sooo," Alec drawled, clicking his tongue behind his teeth as he surveyed his living room, looking and feeling just a little uncomfortable. "Friends?"

"Thus far no," Max quipped instantly. "But who knows? The future's looking brighter."

"I'll break out my shades then," Alec smiled and then gestured at her stomach. "So what did Carr have to say this time?"

Max slowly turned her head and then in a surprising moment, grinned entirely too cheekily at him and said, "ice cream. And lots of it."

"All righty then," Alec decided that he could work with that. He reached out to grab up her spoon and then the ice cream bucket that had luckily landed only slightly skewed. He retrieved it and this time instead placed it on his lap before retrieving the remote control for the television. "Have at it," he invited and was pleased when she disregarded the lid and scooted a little closer to dig into the rest. He turned the television on and started flipping through the channels he'd managed to pick up. "Tell me if you see something you like."

She kept her eyes on the screen and Alec was able to watch her, stopping his channel hopping when her eyes lit up in recognition. He settled the remote on the arm of the couch next to him, looked at the ice cream and filled his spoon. Then he turned his apparent attention back to the screen to see if he could decipher what they were watching. It wasn't anything he had seen before. But that didn't matter, because his mind was full of what Max had just said.

Up to this point, they weren't really friends. But she wasn't adverse seeming to getting that way. He liked the idea of that. Wouldn't mind it at all. He knew what a good friend she made. And he needed all of those that he could get, if he were honest with himself.

So they weren't friends _yet_, but someday they could be.

They would be, he told himself.

Popping the sweet, creamy spoonful of chocolaty goodness into his mouth, Alec decided that he'd definitely hang on for that, when yet became reality and they were something more than what they were then and there.

Not yet, but soon, he promised himself.


	4. Taste

Title: From A To Z Round 2

Chapter Title: Taste

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: fun and friendship

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: Max cooked. Max cooked!

Spoilers/ Time line: Mid season two.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

**T is for Taste**

"So what'cha doin'?" Alec asked impishly as he leaned against the column, rickety as it was, that was supported by the counter in Max and Cindy's apartment. He had been watching Max with interest for the last few minutes, since he had walked into their apartment, to be totally ignored by this woman he was there to see. It was kind of entertaining as she rooted around in her cupboards, mumbling and grunting unintelligible curses.

"My nails!" she snapped back. "What does it look like?"

"Ah, looks to me like you're on a hunt for something," he chuckled, his arms crossed as he enjoyed the show she was, obviously, unintentionally putting on for him. Whatever they called the skin tight stretchy pants, she should invest in a months worth. The way they molded around her curves was almost perfection. But then, recalling a story Cindy had shared recently, he grimaced. "It's not rats, is it? Cause if you're hunting rats, I'm outta here."

"Yes, I'm hunting rats! I'm going to poison them, cook them up and feed them to you in a casserole," Max snarked back. "That seems to be the only way to get rid of pests."

He recognized then that she was frustrated about something and it didn't particularly have to do with him. He was just in the crossfire at the moment. But since she was busy with her hands elsewhere, he could forebear. For a little while anyways. Finally though, just when he was most enjoying the wiggling of her back end, did she begin to back up, emerging from the lower cupboard that she had ensconced herself in. Alec saw that she had come away with a long rectangular pan.

"Ah Maxie," he crooned teasingly, "are you cookin'?"

"Yes Alec," she rolled her eyes as she settled the pan on the counter and reached for a damp washcloth with which she began wiping the pan out. "I will be cooking. Heed my warning now. There will be plenty of slicing, chopping, mutilating... with very sharp, very long knives. And it's been a while, so my aim might leave something to be desired." The threat was adorable when he noticed that she actually had something that looked like flour smeared across her cheekbone.

"I think I'm fast enough to avoid the slicing and dicing," he grinned as he looked over the array of comestibles on the counter. He had thought at first that they'd had trouble with their power source and needed to eat up the fridge's offering before everything went bad. He'd been about to offer to let them use his kitchen, since his electricity source was a little more reliable that what the squatters had hooked up. But then he'd noticed that not everything needed cold storage. "So what'cha making?"

"None of your business," Max replied as she rinsed out and then set the pan aside and reached for a box. She opened it up, peered inside, looked upward, biting at her lip and then gave a little nod. Alec, enjoying this almost as much as minutes ago, moved around the corner of the counter and slid onto one of the stools. He rested his arms on the counter, well back from any mess that she could make, he hoped and rested his chin in one hand.

"Now is that any way to treat a guest in your home?" he pouted, laughing silently as she grit her teeth and gave him a glare.

"Unwanted guests, yes," she finally smiled. "You should thank your lucky stars Alec that you're too big to take care of the same way I took care of the rats we had."

"Do I even want to know?" he chuckled.

"Well," Max sighed, pretending to contemplative, "Cindy always told me that a hot oil treatment was good for you hair." Alec's eyes widened minutely and then he grinned again.

"Yep," he agreed at once. "Too big for the cook pot and I don't think you've got enough oil to boil me."

"Just your head, maybe," Max agreed happily. Alec shook his head again and resumed watching as she began to carefully measure out ingredients.

"So," he interrupted after a moment of watching her mix some crumbs and margarine and ground nuts in a bowl. "Are we baking or cooking today?"

"_We_ are not doing anything," Max huffed. "_I_ am working on this and you are annoying me!"

"And we do it so well," Alec cheered, unable to explain why his mood was so buoyant. Perhaps it had something to do with it being the weekend. He'd had a good day of tips the previous workday. It was a Saturday with the coming evening full of hot prospects and good friends and he had just finished retrieving some information he'd been looking for. All he needed was a partner in crime and of course, his first thought had been Max. But instead of just coming immediately to the point of his visit, he had found things unusual to their typical routine and was entertained immediately by her behavior. Before he could bring up the heist though, she had inserted the pan into the oven and set a timer. She then whirled over to the refrigerator and pulled out a plastic bowl. That was settled on the counter and when her back was turned, Alec's hand darted out to tip the bowl in his direction. His eyes lit up when he saw the chocolate pudding inside.

Before the thought could even fully form, he felt the sharp sting of her hand connecting with his.

"God damn it! Ow!" he yelped, pulling the offended limb away and shaking it. Max just looked pointedly at him, a scowl marring her lips. "I was just gonna have a teeny taste. See if it was set."

"Any moron can see that it's set," she grunted. "Which I guess excludes you, seeing how you're an imbecile!"

"Hey, I resent that," Alec pouted once more. But when that didn't move her, not that he expected it to, he leaned forward once more. "What's it for?"

"To be eaten by other people," she answered smarmily. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Yeah, I got that," he grimaced, "loud and clear."

"Then why'd you ask?" she grinned, but it wasn't pleasant. Alec scowled at her and then slumped a little.

"You're a stingy bitch," he accused. "You know that?"

"Yes, yes I am," she agreed mildly as she moved the bowl out of his reach and with an eye still on him, returned to the refrigerator. She removed another bowl that was covered and then reached into a cupboard to retrieve something.

"Well, at least you admit it," Alec chuckled without much humor and then his eyes lit up again. "And seeing's how you're good buddy Alec is here to help you remedy all those little personality flaws that, hallelujah, you've finally admitted to, how about you learn to share?"

"Screw off Alec."

"No seriously," he picked at her, enjoying the spark that was lighting up her eyes, even if it didn't reach the rest of her face. "I mean hey, even Manticore managed to pound sharing into our thick heads."

"Really?" she asked dryly and with a total air of disbelief.

"Yup," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her. "We learned to share body heat, and fluids. Yeah, fluids were very important. Gotta stay hydrated, right? Of course, I seem to recall that they wanted us to share-!"

"Quit being gross!"

Alec caught his lower lip between his teeth and leaned in again. "It's not gross," he teased. "It's a natural, beautiful thing. I mean, seriously, have you ever seen a dehydrated body? Not horrible, but not pleasant either."

"Okay, fine!" Max snarled as she braced her hands on the counter. "Why are you here? And cut the bull. What do you want?"

"Ah, and here I was, gonna ask you out of the goodness of my heart," he began, but Max, with unerring swiftness, had reached across the counter and caught hold of his shirt collar, yanking him forward.

"Spill!"

"Okay, okay," he held his hands up peaceably. "I've got the line on that jewelry exhibit down town and since the security is for crap, I figured we could hit it up tomorrow night. Your take would be thirty percent," he drawled, dangling that little carrot in front of her. She eyed him thoughtfully before letting him go.

"Sounds interesting," she murmured. "Can we do it another night and I would so be taking forty percent."

"Thirty-five, and no," Alec replied. "Has to be tomorrow night. Security will be too tight once the exhibit starts. No one's supposed to know they're here yet."

"Fifty and no, I can't tomorrow," Max sighed. "We've got plans."

"Oh come on Max," Alec whined, rolling his eyes. "Are you telling me you'd give up half the take just for some chintzy dinner with your not like that boyfriend?"

"It's not dinner with Logan," she snapped back. "Were going to a wedding. Tomorrow afternoon, with the reception most likely running late enough into the evening. So as much as I would like to save your hide from whatever dumb ass plan you've concocted, I made a commitment to go."

"A wedding," he grimaced, suddenly taken by a little monster on his shoulder that was emitting a very green tinge. "That'll be fun. Sitting around, listening to some priest blah blah blahing about honor and obeying and the reception? What's the point when you can't even dance. One touch and it's..." he trailed off as he saw the tightening of her features. She turned abruptly and leaned over to check the pan in the oven. And Alec recognized the behavior at once. Touch a nerve and she turns her back. Not to dismiss you, but because she doesn't know how to let anyone else in, to see the pain.

Feeling a little like a heel, he sank back on his stool. "Sorry," he murmured. And then a little more loudly. "Never actually been to a wedding myself. Thought they sounded kinda boring. I guess some people must like them, or you know, they'd never have 'em, right?" She did not respond and he chewed at the corner of his lip again. Silence reigned for the few minutes until the timer went off and Max moved to take the pan out of the oven. When she turned back to the counter, Alec was relieved that there were no tears, or traces of tears in her eyes.

"It's Cindy and I," she explained softly, in low tones. "We're the ones going. An old room mate of mine is getting married tomorrow and we were invited." And suddenly, Alec felt even lower than he had, moments ago, for crapping all over what was obviously a friend of Max's, happy parade. "Date optional," she added with a morose chuckle. But avoiding Alec's eyes on that, she hurriedly went on. "And the whole thing can get pretty expensive, so instead of doing the catering route, they're going the potluck route. Everyone's bringing something."

"So that's what all this flurry of cooking is for, huh?" he asked, even though she'd already given him an answer. She nodded.

"I managed to "pick up" a ham that I'm doing tonight," she explained. "Cindy made a layered salad and I'm doing a dessert now."

"Cool," he nodded, feeling a little foolish. "Although, I woulda thought that cooking was more Cindy's thing. Don't know why that is," he added teasingly, gently. Max shrugged one shoulder.

"It's not hard when you have the instructions written out, step by step," she offered, holding up a small note card that Alec hadn't noticed before. And then she grinned. "And it was actually Kendra, the friend getting married, that taught me to cook in the first place."

"Ah, that's sweet," Alec grinned. He leaned back and clapped his hands together. "So what can I do to help?"

"Stay out of my way," she returned immediately.

"No, seriously Maxie," he leaned in. "You've gotta have a taste tester, you know. Can't take poor offerings to feed you and your dates and your friends, you know. And I gladly offer my services!" It didn't matter what excuse he gave, he was fishing and he knew it.

"No dates," Max shook her head and Alec was just a tiny bit glad to see that she looked disappointed about it, though she was probably mourning that Cale couldn't make it. But before he could throw out a quip, she went on. "Tanisha dumped Cindy a couple nights ago. Kinda short notice to ask someone else."

"Ah," he drawled, nodding wisely. "That's why she was so... pissy the other day." He frowned up at her and then gestured with his hand. "We had a few runs together and she was..."

"Yeah," Max nodded as she reached for a spoon and began to stir up the pudding. "And also why she was hittin' it hard at Crash last night." The pair winced in sympathy for the woman. "So I figured that it would be really crass of me to show up with a friend, when Cindy was alone. So we're goin' stag, together. I mean, like you said, couldn't invite Logan, even though he knows Kendra. There's definitely gonna be dancing and making this food," she rambled, "can't really take the chance of him eating any. Not that I'm sticking my hands in it or anything, but better to be safe than-!"

"Yeah, I gotcha," Alec agreed quickly, thinking rapidly to move her off the topic of Cale before she became maudlin.

"But the thing I'm not seeing?" he hinted and Max's eyebrows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes at him. "How does all that add up to me not getting a taste?" And there was the eye roll, yet again.

"Alec," she started, seemingly sweet, but he knew that it would last all of point oh two seconds. "I'm sure that even somewhere in that screwed up psyche of yours, that narcissistic viewpoint, even if you aren't going to acknowledge it, that you realize that it would be extremely rude for Cindy and I to show up at a fancy do like this, offering half eaten food!"

"I'm not gonna eat it all, or even half!" he protested with a laugh. He held his fingers up, his forefinger and thumb infinitesimally parted. "Just an eensy weeny taste. That's all I'm askin' for! Please?" he tried to adopt a little boy pout, but she wasn't moved. Not one bit, it seemed.

"You are not having any of this," she smirked, gesturing with her hand at the counter between them. "One friggin' "little taste" and you'd devour the whole thing!" And then she spun away to open the fridge door one more time. She grabbed something from it and cradling it in one arm, moved to Alec's side and yanking him off the stool, began a very unceremonious dragging and expelling of his body from her apartment.

How she managed to open the door, all while holding his coat sleeve and not dropping the little silver pan she held, he'd never guess. But suddenly he was on the wrong side of the door, his lower lip quivering as convincingly as he could make it. "Please..." he began but she shook her head at him.

"Alec, once and for all, quit beggin' for a bite of what I'm makin'," she instructed. "Go home and enjoy your own." And with that, she shoved the small rectangular pan, covered in foil, into his stomach. He caught it reflexively and she stood for a moment, smirking at him instead of the other way around. He pursed his lips, wondering at the joke, but before he could even ask, she was laughing. "Sketch called me an hour ago and told me that you were lookin' for me. And I know you. But seriously Alec, I have too much to do today. I'll catch ya later, okay?"

"Okay," he grinned. The door shut between them and he was only able to move about two feet down the hallway before he was peeling back the foil and taking in the creamy whipped topping with nuts sprinkled over it. Biting his lip and contemplating for a nanosecond, he dug one finger into it and came away with whipped cream, nuts and the hoped for chocolate pudding. It was creamy, sweet and dark in his mouth and he inhaled deeply, savoring it. After swallowing and licking at his lips, he carefully replaced the foil. Wouldn't want anything to happen to his specially made treat. And he knew, as he grinned over thinking of enjoying this at his home, that Max was right. He never would have been able to stop at one taste. He turned his head.

"Thank you Maxie!" he called loudly, knowing that she would hear it.

"Yeah yeah," she called back, laughing inside her apartment as he heard her moving around. "Bye Alec!"

The rest of his day made, Alec headed out, figuring on how long he planned to savor this little bite, versus the reality that made him want to just hunker down in the hall and dig in like a little boy in a candy shop. Knowing she'd have a fit if her offering wasn't fully respected as the gift that it was, Alec tucked the little pan, that looked like a miniature loaf pan, into his coat as best as he was able, before climbing on his bike.

Maybe, he mused, he'd pull that heist on his own, it was doable, and find her a nice little something or other she'd enjoy. It'd be just the thing to say thanks.


	5. Unit

Title: From A To Z Round 2

Chapter Title: Unit

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: friendship

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: He who laughs last...

Spoilers/ Time line: Post series. Several months after the siege at Terminal City has started

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

**U is for Unit**

Alec McDowell knew one thing as he stormed his way into command central that morning. He was getting mightily sick and tired of the damn politics that they were playing here. And it wasn't the stand off between the Manticore bred trans beings and the ordinaries on the other side of the fence that was getting to him. No, after his life, how they'd been treated, trained, dealt with, those kind of politics were as usual as breathing. What had Alec's dander up, his ire raised and his nose out of joint was dealing with the ordinary _inside_ the fence.

He had objected of course, to Cale sticking around. It just plain wasn't healthy for the guy. The toxins in Terminal City didn't strike you down in one day if you were a regular human being that hadn't been bred with the immunities to bio-agents, like this trannies had. But it would still affect him. But Cale's genius plan, to take regular blood transfusions from the oh so willing Joshua had blown that away. Before he could even bring up another point, it had been pointed out, forcefully that it wasn't yet safe for Cale to return to the outside world. He had been the one to throw himself into the fray that fateful day at Jam Pony, clearly showing his support for the trannies. Unlike Cindy and Sketchy, who could claim that they were under threat or force to help their former friends. Not that they had used that claim, but it was there all the same.

And then even worse, the moron had actually had some good suggestions to implement which brought a few more people into his support camp. And even thinking of all this, Alec could have lived with it. He'd said his piece enough times before during and after that day that people, in particular, Max knew where he stood. If she didn't want to listen, well.. one day she'd get it and Alec could only hope that the fallout only took her out and not the rest of them. In fact, he'd planned for that day and all the potential outcomes, because that was what a smart soldier did.

No, what had Alec on edge, was Cale's attitude. Like he knew better than the rest of them. Just because he lived in the ordinary world his whole life, that he was the authority for dealing with all matters in the transgenics dealings with the rest of the world. And okay, Alec could deal with that too. He'd had too many dealings with people too hopped up on their own hubris to worry much over it. He'd found that subtly making that person look the fool to everyone else was a much more satisfying route of relief.

But Cale holding it over his head every minute of every day, smugly reminding Alec of how he, an ordinary human, had swooped in and saved Alec, trained super soldier, from being that Familiar bitch's final target... Not even pointing out that Alec had been injured before the fight started. Not even pointing out that Logan had still been hopped up on Joshua's transfusion. Not even pointing out that he had his robo-legs to give him a boost. None of that logic seemed to get through to the older male, who happily discounted it all. And then... then, when he'd seemed to realize that his taunting was getting old and starting to piss people off, he had started reminding Alec of past transgressions. Like how it was apparently all his fault that Max had this retrovirus targeted specifically for Logan's DNA implanted in her. Or how Logan had to put out so much money for a cure, only to have it wasted when Alec needed saving. Or furniture that Alec had wrecked, fighting with Max. Or great Saints above, how much Logan's food bill went up when Alec decided to scavenge for food... one day. Just one friggin' day when he'd shown up at Logan's around lunch time!

It was too much! And Alec swore to himself, despite Logan helping them now, despite it pissing Max off, despite everything! If Logan even so much as looked at him funny, they'd see how far an ordinary could fly under the strength of Alec's ire, as Mole had been trying to take bet's on one day. But when he finally made it through the small maze like hallway into command head quarters, he was startled by the large milling group that had gathered around a desk in the middle of the room.

Stretching up on tiptoes to see over the tops of the gathered bodies, many much taller than he at six foot evem, he groaned softly when he saw that it was Max. And she was standing on something, not the desk itself or he would have seen her easily. She was holding her hands up, trying to get silence. And there was Cale, right beside her, staring at her in that smarmy, smug, lovesick way he had. It made Alec's teeth grind together even more.

"What's going on?" he demanded quietly of Mole, whom he had come to a stop by.

"Her highness is makin' an announcement," Mole informed him and Alec could hear the derision in the lizard man's voice. Alec rolled his eyes. This was new. Eventually, in a short manner of time, the room had silenced enough and Max finished her climb up to the desk so that she could easily be seen and obviously, heard.

"Okay people," she called out, her voice ringing loud and clear. "It's come to my attention that the past few days we've been hearing a lot of things about Logan being here. And it's been great, right?" she demanded and there were a few groans, Alec's among them. What the hell was she doing? Alec watched as she carefully eyed the group around her. "I mean," she went on, "here's this ordinary guy, who has gone out of his way to help us. To provide us with Intel, to try and procure supplies through his contacts, I mean hell! He even saved the life of one of our own! Let's give him a hand folks!" She started clapping, her face lit up and by the obviously falsely smug, good ol' boy, sheepish grin that Logan was sporting, Alec could tell that the man was thrilled.

But Alec was starting to feel sick to his stomach. There was some halfhearted applause until, to Alec's startlement Mole joined in, his hands coming together sounding more like a leather coat being beaten free of dust than of happy clapping. Seeming to realize this, he stopped and cupping his hands around his mouth yelled instead.

"Whoo Logan!" he sounded out, his voice ripe and amused. "Go Logie bear!"

Alec felt his heart sink down to his feet, his stomach dropping and rolling as bile swam up his throat. This was too friggin much! He turned to make his escape, but the scaly hand of his neighbor snagged him before he could make his getaway.

"Hang on there Nancy," Mole chuckled, the sound slightly disturbing. "Her highness isn't done yet."

And so caught in a grip that Alec was feeling too... not weak, but certainly dispirited enough to break, he waited. After Max's clapping for her erstwhile boyfriend died down, she grinned around at the rest of them.

"So yeah, Logan's been great, helping us out," she reiterated and Alec rolled his eyes. "Though of course, in a unit this large some of our skills can get a little redundant, can't they?" There were a few chuckles at that, and friends glancing at one another. "But that's okay," Max continued on, speaking over a few voices. "We've all got to find our niche, right?" There were more verbal agreements with that and Max was nodding. "Like Mole and Snowy? Both excellent with the munitions. Either one of them could manage the job, no prob, right? But they've really worked together and figured out how to divvy up the responsibilities."

Beside him, Alec could feel Mole puffing up just slightly with well deserved pride. Yeah, true, Mole and Snowy had had their moments, arguing and threatening one another, but they actually did work well together and their taunting of one another was just typical posturing, more than anything else. Max however, was using a few of the other transgenics and trans humans around the room as examples and Alec was starting to wonder what point she was trying to make. Finally, she turned back to Logan, still at her side, happily beaming up at her.

"Now I know," she started, her arms crossing over her middle, "that I only had half as long as everyone else at Manticore. But when I was a child, the units that Manticore made up only had one person for each necessary job in that unit. We were all trained of course, to handle anything. But we were assigned one task and that was what we concentrated on. But here, here man, we got the luxury of having so many of us to back each other up. Right?"

There were quiet nods again and Alec felt a small grin tug at his lips. Yeah, they had soldiers in spades and they were all capable of much more than Manticore had believed of them.

"And that's what a unit does," Max called out. "We back each other up. And when there's a need, we fill it. We're there for each other. Just like that one time, when Logan was there for Alec. Really there to watch Alec's back against that Familiar bitch!"

Alec, his insides feeling like they were yo-yoing now, stared up at the woman he'd been coming to think of as his best friend and if he secretly admitted it, someone who could be more. She'd not made a direct mention to what had happened between the two males at all, until now and he felt sick that she was so firmly ensconced as a Logan groupie that the man would be dead and gone long before Max ever gave it up.

"I was more than happy to help," Logan announced grandly, his smarmy features trying to dazzle the room and Alec's hands were clenching.

"Hold yourself sweet cheeks," Mole warned softly, his hand coming up to grasp Alec's shoulder. "She still ain't done. Man I been waitin' for this!"

Throwing Mole a confused and slightly disgusted look, Alec forcibly made himself relax.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure that you, Logan," Max went on, her face adopting that typical lovey dovey, goo goo face she made when she was talking about her sweetheart, "would understand how it feels to be in a unit. But then I started thinking about it from your angle."

Alec didn't miss, to his delight, slight though it was, as Logan's seemingly spaced out vacant adoration of Max slipped a little and he looked confused.

"Of course you were happy to help Alec out that day, because of course Alec has helped you out a number of times, right?" she demanded airily, as if it were a verified fact instead of opinion.

Alec perked up at that. Were his ears deceiving him or did Max just actually announce, in public, before her friends and co-workers and her not-like-that boyfriend, that Alec was actually useful.

"I mean, he's helped you out on missions and he paid you back what money he could that we owed you and wow, remember that time we had that accident and he helped me get you to the hospital? I mean, I know he couldn't get there later, but if it hadn't been for some legal trouble, he would have been right there at your side, transfusing you. I mean, and that's just the stuff that Alec did straight for you. Then there's all those times when he's had my back, or Joshua's back and that's just since he got out of Manticore." She turned to look at the room at large and continued. "I can't even begin to imagine all the crap trouble you guys might have had then, but seriously, was Alec there for you guys?"

Alec was surprised by the deafening response Max got to that. But he was pleased. He hadn't even thought of any of his actions being far reaching by any means. It was just... that was how they were taught. He chanced a glance at Logan, who was looking much less thrilled now and a little... dismayed?

"Hey, you know what!" Max called out, bouncing slightly on her toes from atop her perch. "We should all take a moment to thank one another for all the great help we've been to each other. I mean, I know that's not how it normally goes down, because we're all just doing what comes naturally. Because as a unit, we know that we've got someone at our back. Just like someone would have had Alec's back if Logan hadn't made it there. I mean, not that we don't appreciate Logan kicking the snot out of that bitch." There was some laughter at that and Alec could join in, because she was right. The look on that prissy bitches face when Logan had used his robo-legs to send her packing had been hilarious.

"So you know, just like we don't keep a tally on all the things we do for our unit, because man, it's really a two way street, right?" Max called out. "Well, I also know that a little appreciation never hurts anything. Just like when Alec thanked Logan for the save. So hey, where's Alec?" she demanded, looking around and when Mole called her attention over in their direction, she smiled widely and Alec's heartbeat picked up just a little once her attention was on him. But instead of any of her blank looks and veiled insults, she was happily moving both hands out from her body and giving him a cheesy grin. "Good job there Alec. Thumbs up for being a trend setter." And she matched image to words and Alec had to laugh hard there at the unintentional adorableness she displayed.

He ducked his head down more so that it wasn't like he was laughing at her, or Logan even, who now looked so devastated and hugely embarrassed as perhaps the weight of his own self congratulation he had wrought came down around his ears.

"Okay people!" Max called out, one hand now on her hip as she was gesturing with the other to the crowd in general. "So let's take a moment and thank each other for all the good work we've been doing and then we can get back to it. All right?"

There were huge vocal agreements being made as she hopped down from the desk as immediately the trannies started turning to one another and shaking hands and cuffing shoulders while words of enthusiastic encouragement were shared. Alec's eyes followed after Max as she completely disregarded Logan to make a beeline to Joshua. He could hear her lilting voice thanking the big guy for his work on the housing issue and all the time he'd taken to do so.

"Come on pretty boy," Mole grunted as he snagged Alec's coat sleeve and began forcibly hauling him through the crowd. Alec could feel the pats on his shoulder and other arm from some of the others they passed and caught a few murmurs of their appreciation.

"Hey Max," the lizard man called out, just loudly enough to get her attention. She turned and waited as they reached her, slightly disregarding Alec for the moment as she waited for whatever it was Mole wanted.

"Yeah?" she finally demanded.

"Well as per your command," Mole began, dragging his words slightly, with the air of resignation at having to follow her orders. "Just wanted to say thanks for another daily dose of soap opera entertainment."

Max grinned, quickly hid it as her eyes slid to Alec and then back to Mole and she shrugged one shoulder. "Happy to oblige, I guess." They both nodded and then Max giggled. She honest to God giggled and Alec wasn't the only one raising an eyebrow to that. "Keeps us from going off the reservation, right?"

"You'll get no complaints from me," Alec agreed happily. There was a moment of milling in the group and Alec caught Mole's glance darting between them and then with a calculated look, turned away to find another transgenic, Snowy as it turned out, to thank the guy for keeping his wits sharp, even if his taunts were half-formed and not nearly... and Alec, as he felt Max's hand on his sleeve, tuned out the veiled words that were a staple of the pairs working relationship.

"There's something else..." Max began and Alec stilled, waiting patiently. He could see the hesitation in her eyes and he knew, just knew that were he to crack a joke to ease the sudden tension she was exhibiting, then she'd respond in kind and he might never find out what was going on in that brain of hers.

"Yeah?" he encouraged softly and was pleased when he was rewarded with a slight grin that actually looked like it was fueled by amusement and not derision.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she began and then shrugged one shoulder, glancing away momentarily. "To you," she stressed, raising both eyebrows, in case that hadn't been clear to him. Which of course, on some days it wasn't. "For... well, for having my back whenever you could. Cause I know," she paused and glanced away, but her gaze seemed unfocused, not on any specific thing or person. "I guess it goes without saying that if you really didn't want to help, there wasn't much I could say to make you."

"Ah, you know me," Alec scoffed happily, slightly delighted that she had finally acknowledged him in such a public setting. He waved one hand dismissively. "I'm always a sucker for a pretty girl." He realized that those words could be taken several ways and then shrugged. "Not like you're a typical damsel in distress or anything. Just... you know. You asked and..."

"After threatening, abusing and or blackmailing you, you came through?" Max teased, chuckling.

"Yeah, something like that," he agreed with a breath of relief that she wasn't taking offense. "And, I know, you've..." he hesitated because even with the teasing tones they were trying to keep to, it was getting just a little emotional. At least on his end. Which wasn't the greatest impression that he wanted to present to her. But there was something in her eyes that Alec couldn't help himself responding to. "You've been there for me to Max," his voice was slightly hoarse as he managed to get it out. "And even if I didn't show it then, I really, really appreciated it."

"Of course," she smiled, but there was again, nothing sinister in her face. If Alec had to say, she looked, relieved. Perhaps that they were finally able to get this reciprocal crap out of the way. But he had one more thing to say.

"And of course," he teased, gesturing discreetly around, "thanks for being such a good, kind hearted person, deep down. You know, deep, deep deep, way deep down." The words were teasing as was the tone and thankfully she took it as intended.

"I know, this hard assed bitch routine is so damn good, I had ya fooled for the longest time," she preened, which caused Alec to chuckle and shake his head.

"Sure ya did Max," he snorted. "I had you pegged the first time you bitched me out for being rude to Joshua."

The reminder caused her to smile and she shrugged. "Okay fine, what can I say? I'm more into actions than words anyway."

"Yeah," Mole interjected, having turned back to them again, "well maybe one of these days you can action the ordinaries ass on out of here."

Alec winced inwardly, but was totally taken by surprise when Max's face didn't darken immediately, but instead, she sighed and lowered her eyes slightly. There was a twist to her lips as her eyes darted in the direction of the lone and lonely male being ignored by all the beings around him. There was a long sigh from her before she glance up at Mole again.

"I hate to say it," she began in low tones, "but that's going to take a little more planning and conniving than even I'm capable of now."

"You know, if there's anyway we can help," Mole offered before Alec could even process what she had just admitted and the implications of it, but he caught up quickly enough.

"If you're serious Max," he warned and seeing the misery in her eyes, softened his tones. "Any way we can help, all you have to do is ask." He waited, keeping his face neutral as she eyed the both of them. He knew, just knew that Mole was probably looking all gleeful and eager, but for himself, if it had been before, before a lot of things, well, he might have looked the same. But, still reeling from the events of the last fifteen minutes, Alec didn't feel like putting on a show of bull shit. And to his relief, Max seemed to understand that completely. She turned to regard him and solely he.

"Thanks," she murmured with a small smile. "I might just take you up on that."

"Hey," Alec sighed, opening his arms widely in a grandiose gesture. "Anything for the good of the unit, right?"

To his amazement, Max seemed to misunderstand the position of his... and suddenly she was sliding against him, her arms wrapped around his chest and back and with a sudden widening of his eyes, he realized what she was doing. And his own arms wrapped around her in a very unfamiliar move, but oh so welcome as he rested his cheek on the top of her head for a moment as she squeezed him lightly. She was so close that he could feel her eyelashes fluttering against his throat and all the emotions that he thought he had properly tamped down came rushing back to him.

His throat choked up, the feel of her body pressed demurely against his own, Alec did the only thing he could. He glanced up, and in a perfect moment, the crowd had parted before them, until there was a straight line of visual access to the great Logan Cale. And as Alec caught his startled, disappointed gaze, he smiled and straightened up slightly, even as he squeezed Max once more.

_'Thanks,'_ he mouthed silently to the other man who turned away immediately, disgust and pain evident in his features. And then he disregarded the other man to turn all his attention back to the woman in his arms.


	6. Entrance

Title: From A To Z

Chapter Title: Entrance

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: schmoopy

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: No matter how grand an entrance you can make, someone always comes along to top it.

Spoilers/ Time line:Post series. TC is no longer under siege though White is still a threat.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

**E is for Entrance**

'If there's one thing that girl knows how to do,' Alec thought to himself as he pulled the vehicle over into the ditch. There was no use for it, the tire had been going flat and he'd driven on it as long as he could. And there was no use endangering he and the other passenger. He left the car running, occasional warmth to combat the freak snow storm that they were enduring. The one that they'd all thought wasn't going to get as bad as this.

He gathered everything he could find for supplies in the front seat and glove box before he ducked out of the driver's seat, into the cold environment, limping slightly, slamming that door shut and diving into the rear seat of the four door sedan that he'd stolen. He glanced over at his partner, frowning as beads of sweat were forming on her brow. She did not look good right now. Even in her finery, she was looking pale, sweaty, pained...bloody...

His own pain, from the bullet that had caught his calf muscle, burning and causing that discomfort that came when your body recognized that there was foreign matter where it just didn't belong, it all paled in comparison to what she was enduring.

Even as he dug on the floor for a blanket, she was trying to gasp something out. He listened for a moment before answering.

"I killed the lights Maxie," he told her, one hand reaching for hers and then wincing as she squeezed. Whoever had passed on that bit of wisdom about the fingers and the hands? Oh hell were they right. As quickly as the spasm of pain passed, he retrieved his hand and flexed it, out of her sight, hoping feeling would return quickly. He stole another glance at this forthright woman that had decided, that now of all times, an evening of fun was just in order and had accepted the invitation, even though everyone warned them against it. But he'd wanted to keep her happy. Wanted to see her smile, since it was so rare these days.

Alec felt his lips curving into a grin as he remembered when they had walked into that ballroom earlier in the evening. He had been gob smacked himself the first time he saw her in the dress that she had chosen. The plunging neckline was not one that Max normally would have chosen. But she had been in an odd mood of late. But walking into that ballroom, that high society event, everyone had turned and stared, some jaws dropping, some women envious about how well Max pulled off the daring, brilliant red dress. The plunging neckline was only part of it. It had been skin tight and slinky. The perfect description, with parts of the waist and hips cut away so that every inch of perfectly smooth caramel skin was revealed, and it almost looked like everything was pointing like a target, right to her stomach. The stares had continued as they'd moved into the gathered crowd. Perhaps because the back of the dress? Well, there wasn't one. The material gathered to rest at just the top of her buttocks, showing off a tantalizing glimpse of that ripe form of cleavage she'd been amply gifted with.

And Alec had loved it. The entire evening, as her escort, her literal bodyguard that night, he'd been able to keep his hand hovering there, right above that swell, rubbing her back in a clear indication to other males that despite what they might think, she was all his. Not that Maxie noticed. She was too busy enjoying herself, talking with old acquaintances she had met from days better left forgotten. It had been a long time since she'd been able to sparkle like that. And as she had said, it would be a long time before she could again. He'd been happy to put that smile on her face.

It was just typical that the woman who'd been running and hiding for the majority of her life, advocating keeping a low profile, eschewing a publicized life, that she could walk into any room and make everyone sit up, stand up and stare. Oh lord, the staring.

But it wasn't like this was his first indication that she was a larger than life person, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Even if she wouldn't admit to it, her personality was forceful for the most part. It was in her stride, in her determination and she let everyone know it. Not like tonight's walk into those snobby trust fund goody do gooders had been her most spectacular. There was of course her triumphant moment of crashing a hover drone into Jam Pony at the start of the hostage situation. That was masterful, as well as her little quips when everyone had raced to gather around her.

But even before that, Ale had seen the evidence in simple things. Like how she was always racing ahead on that little Ninja of hers. Wanting to be first, whether it was because someone needed help or she just wanted to open her baby up and let the freedom of the road take her. Or, there were also the times when she used said Ninja to do her forthright talking for her. How on earth did you argue with someone who was fully prepared, and Alec had seen this too, totally ready to use several hundred pounds of machinery to mow people down to make her point.

Even her stride was determined to garner her attention. Like the way she'd kick through anything to get at what she wanted. The way she strode about like she was the Queen of everything. Work, home, Crash, even the streets. Her stride always said that she was in charge and you'd better know it.

"Alec!" her voice rang out and Alec, was embarrassed to realize that he had been daydreaming slightly, even as he was glancing at his watch. "Alec? What the hell are you thinking?"

"Huh?" was his brilliant response as he turned to regard her. She was turned, sideways on the back bench seat, one hand cradling her abdomen. It was very prophetic seeming that the dress she wore that seemed to target her stomach as the focal point of her ensemble, was now the truth. She sucked in her breath, eyes clenching shut as pain played over her face again and Alec forced himself back to the situation at hand.

'Damn White and his freaky goons,' Alec cursed silently, as he saw the slight trickle of blood pooling under her. 'We beat them back and the fuckers just couldn't stand that they lost.'

"Alec!" this time her voice was an entreaty and he responded instantly to it, his hand moving to cover hers and the other stroking her leg that was closest to him. "It hurts."

"I know Maxie," he soothed. "Try to breath through the pain." He glanced at his watch again, mentally urging the rescue team coming from Terminal City to really haul ass and perform the miracle of getting there much earlier than they thought they'd be capable of. "Help is coming."

"I know that dumb ass," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I was the one that called them."

"Only because I was too busy getting our asses out of there," he smirked back. Her fingers tightened on her knee that she was gripping for a long moment and then the pain seemed to ease off for a moment. She fell out of the slight curled hunch she had created, her head thumping slightly on the door behind her.

"So what were you thinking about?" she demanded once more. Alec shrugged one shoulder, glancing down again. He bit at his lip, thinking that for all the supplies he had, they just wouldn't be enough if... but he couldn't tell her that.

"I was just thinking," he grinned up at her, desperate to keep her at least from going off the deep end over things. That wouldn't help their situation at all. "Really," he continued, "about all your really cool entrances. You really know how to be the center of attention, don't you?" he teased gently. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

"That's what you're thinking about?" she demanded stridently. "Seriously?"

"Well, keeps me from thinking about how I have yet another hole in my body," he shrugged. "Or the absurdity of the situation." Her face had softened instantly at the mention of his wound and he winced inwardly when he saw the tears begin to pool in the corner of her eyes. "Hey, hey, just a flesh wound. Remember? Been there, done that?"

"Not a good argument," she gasped, sitting up and straining once more. Alec reached forward to help her try and find a comfortable position. Not that they were having any luck with that.

"But it is absurd," he continued, once she had calmed a little again. Trying, with the only thing he had left, his words, to distract her. "I mean, you simply wanted a night out. I provided it. But with our abysmal luck, we have a run in with White and his goons, the tire is flat on the friggin' car, we're almost out of gas, we had to divert from our path so that White couldn't follow us and that puts our rescue team way off course. They're gonna have a hell of a time finding us, because of this fucking freak snow storm and we can't use the GPS on our phones, because yours was in your purse and you left it behind and mine was the victim of a bullet."

"Better your phone than your lungs," Max grunted out.

"True," Alec conceded. "And to top it all off, there's this." He waved his hand over her abdomen.

"This?" her voice was icy, but Alec knew that it wasn't in reference to how he had put it, but Max trying to siphon off the pain in whatever way she could. He could only imagine... his bullet wound was nothing in comparison. "Damn it Alec," she gasped, her voice sounding tiny to his ears. "I don't think we can wait."

There was a truth to that statement that he hadn't quite wanted to admit and he quickly moved to check on her. And saw that she was, as usual, one hundred percent correct. A particular string of nasty words slipped from his lips. "I think you're right babe," he muttered and caught her rolling her eyes at him. It was over quickly as she gasped once more and her upper body arched towards the ceiling of the car, without much success of reaching it, naturally. Even as he noted that the sweat was rolling off her brow, he was reaching for one of the rags he had found, clean thankfully, in the glove box. He mopped at her face and she turned towards the clean fabric gratefully. "How long?" he asked. And then realized he wasn't being clear. "Tonight, I mean."

"Since before we left," Max gasped out. "But I didn't think..."

"Yeah," Alec sighed, well aware of the situation she was referring to. He probably would have calculated the same odds. She was straining once more, and this time, it was she reaching for his hand. He gave it to her, thoughts of pain, of her breaking his hand were gone. It didn't matter, as long as he did his duty and saw her through this, to the end, just like he had promised. The moment took forever to pass and Alec checked on her once more. Thankfully there had not been any real progression of note.

"I wonder something though," he mused, once again trying to distract her just a little. "Do you think it might be, like, inherited, or genetic or something?"

"What is?" she gasped back. He could see that she was having a hard time catching her breath, things were happening so fast now. It didn't matter if she were lying down or sitting up.

"Making the grand entrances," he pointed out, "as you seem so fond of doing." But then she was arching up again and Alec's eyes went wide as she grabbed his shirt collar.

"I don't care about what I'm so fond of doing," she growled. "This is stupid!" She let loose of his collar and then winced as Alec's arms came up from their awkward positioning around each other, to try and carefully lower her back down. "I'm sorry," she apologized instantly. "The pain..."

"I know babe," he soothed. "Just hang on. Help will be here soon. Not like it's gonna do us much good."

"What do you mean?" her words were panicked suddenly and Alec cursed himself for not watching his tongue.

"It's okay," he tried placating her and explaining quickly was one of the ways to do so. "I was just thinking that I was really hoping that it would be quiet and safe, preferably in TC where the doctor has access to pain medication." He saw her nodding along with him and couldn't help the tired grin. "Instead, we've got a blizzard, barely any supplies, help that's going to be too late in coming and it's a month too early. Talk about a grand entrance."

"Alec," her voice was soft, but there was something deadly in it. And it made Alec sit up and take notice. "I really don't care about how any friggin' entrance is made, as long as it-!" She stopped short and then bit down on her lower lip, so hard that she actually drew blood, and there was a long, low keening emanating from her throat. She had pushed him away and managed to gasp out, "now!"

Pushing the material of her dress out of the way, Alec realized that she was right. All that mattered was the here and now. And it was his job, the most important one he had right now, to see her through this.

Mole stared anxiously out the window, cursing the damn snow storm that had been growing in intensity since even before they'd received the distress call. His experienced gaze swept back and forth, searching for any sign of their missing leaders.

He knew, just knew, from experience, from his highly developed intuitive senses, that tonight had been slated to be a disaster right from the get go. His hands clenched and unclenched convulsively. The original plan, before some brainiac had checked the weather report, simply because Mole wanted all bases covered and had planned a rescue op before the others even thought there might be trouble, had been to have the chopper they'd "acquired" to be fueled and ready to go. But he couldn't fly in this weather. Maybe if they had a stripped down National Guard long distance rescue can, they'd have made it. But no, all they had was the usual military issue for standard transport. It was too heavy to fly through weather like this. The dangers too great for the crew before they could even think to get to their target.

And it was the fact that Mole would have been at the helm, directing things, that had him on edge now. Because this old rusting hunk of junk ambulance, another of their "acquisitions" that had been painted over to look like any other rusted out bucket of bolts on the post pulse roads, was being driven by Kodiak. And admittedly, the black bear human cross of a transhmuan was one that Mole liked having at his back. He had nearly as much battle and mission experience as Mole did, albeit in different areas. And he knew the mission as well as anyone else.

Mole's problem was that Kodiak, when faced with weather issues, drove like a ninety year old woman needing a new prescription on her bifocals. The van was friggin' crawling along. Which admittedly, made it easier for Mole and the others in the back to keep their eyes out for signs of their missing leaders.

"There!" Joshua yelled, his finger jabbing forward to the front window, towards Mole more than Kodiak. Eyes instantly swung the way the big dog man had been pointing. There was nothing there, but they weren't quick to dismiss it. The last communique that they'd had from Alec had noted that they had had to switch routes to lose White and company. They had a general area, but then Alec's phone had gone dead. The popping report they'd heard clearly over the line told them what had probably, hopefully happened.

"Little light," Joshua explained. "Flashing intermittent."

Mole nodded. They were in a car. He continued to scan what he assumed was the horizon and then he caught it as well. An eerie light flickering and Mole assumed from the glow, for it to be an inner dome light, in the backdrop of dark and snow. He glanced down at the map of the countryside roads he'd been able to grab. "Two clicks up, hard right," he instructed. "We'll come back at them immediately on the concurrent service road."

Kodiak nodded and sped up. Mole breathed just a tiny sigh of relief. Finally, they were getting somewhere. When they pulled up five minutes later, he was the first out of the van, as soldiers, taking point poured out, he strode to the van, shivering in the drastically lowered temperatures.

"All clear!" one of his boys shouted and Mole noted that the boy had taken the precaution of throwing on one of the heat signature reading goggles they kept. There were no other bodies alive out there, but for the ones in the vehicle. He approached and rapped on the rear door, where he could see some shadowy forms. The vehicle was quiet, but when he leaned over to open the door, he could see quite clearly, as the dome light flickered and came on for just a brief moment before dying out again, not one or two, but three distinct presences, huddled together.

"Someone call for a rescue?" he chuckled, his relief that the situation hadn't been worse, very evident.

"Someone that could have used it about twenty minutes ago," Alec quipped back, sparing Mole only the briefest of glances, before turning back to gaze intently, worshipfully at the child wrapped in a black tuxedo jacket and cradled in his wife's arms. Mole didn't bother hiding his smirk. He'd seen that look on new father's faces all the time. He pulled back and gestured to the med team that had traveled with them. "Get some blankets," he instructed as Joshua neared to peek in. "We got a little one to transport."

Renee moved in, while her partner, Flynn grabbed what supplies they had brought. Mole moved out of her way, while Joshua sidled to the side. It looked crowded enough in there, what with Max and the baby taking up the back seat and Alec squashed in on the floor beside her. But neither seemed to mind in their fawning adoration of the baby that was front and center.

It took only a matter of minutes to get Max and the baby bundled up and transferred to the back of the ambulance. Mole wanted to ask, as they all climbed back into the vehicle and were on their way back to TC, in contact with other vehicles that had been sent out to ensure their safe route return. But he restrained himself. The betting pool wasn't all that important. At this point, since he had led the trend of betting on the most preposterous scenarios possible in which Max would deliver, he held the most chances there. But right now, it was down to fifty/ fifty odds that he would win. That crafty little kitty cat Allie had mimicked his bets. But she had been betting on a girl. Mole, with his superior air of premonition had been going for boy.

Max of course, had kept mum about it and forced Alec to do the same. But Mole was sure he'd have his answer soon enough. He focused part of his attention on the conversation in the back. Renee and Flynn were taking all sorts of vitals and notes and complimenting Alec and Max on a job well done, while the normally bickering pair were just murmuring their assents. And then Max giggled.

"What babe?" Alec had chuckled along with her. Apparently her good mood was infectious.

"Don't think you get to call me that anymore," she grunted happily. "Got the real thing here now."

"True," Alec agreed. "I'll find something else to call you wife o' mine."

"I know you will," she replied archly, sounding amused, yet resigned. "And you were right."

"Right about what?"

"As far as entrances go," Max laughed. "I've had some good ones. But I think, hands down, our son just won that contest."

"That he did, sweetheart," Alec agreed and the pair were laughing once more as a tiny, soft baby coo was added to the mix.

And even as he turned his attention back to watching the roads, letting his senses sweep out to protect the van's inhabitants, Mole had to agree. For all the trouble that little one had caused, the situation was win all around.


	7. Alpha

Title: From A To Z

Chapter Title: Alpha

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Fox and Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-15

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: humorous

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: There was always more than one way to show his status.

Spoilers/ Time line: Mid to late Season 2.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

A/N2: This idea comes from an episode of the show "South Park" entitled "Heavy Metal". I was thinking about it while I fell asleep and when I woke up, this fiction was born. It was only reinforced when my husband and his friends displayed this behavior too.

**A is for Alpha**

Enjoying a beer, with his friends, after a long, hard day, or at least, the approximation of it, a beautiful woman beside him, several more in the vicinity that showed every sign of interest in him... What more could Alec McDowell, transgenic super soldier, and young man about town, ask for?

Well, of course there was the FBI, military, police, all sorts of government agencies really, that were trying to hunt down the escapees from Manticore. A black ops program of the army that was completely disavowed in every political circle possible until someone had leaked that incontrovertible proof. So that was one thing he could complain of and wish gone. For those politicians and bible thumpers and so on and so forth to let them just fade into anonymity.

There was also the lack of ready cash. It was a problem in this post modern world that nearly everyone suffered from. But he had ways of remedying that. So Alec could deal.

And of course, the woman right next to him, the woman that had he admitted the truth to himself fully, instead of dancing around the idea, that one. The one where he was totally and helplessly in love with her, rather than just hot for her ass, and other assets and would so totally bang her if given half the chance. Now she herself wasn't so much the problem, per se. No, the problem was the growth on her other side. Self proclaimed freedom fighter and representative of the people, Eyes Only, aka Logan Cale.

If only Logan Cale and all the rest of his ilk would just drop off the face of the planet. It would make for a happy hopeful, would be boyfriend, as Alec had finally decided he was. But Alec wasn't thinking too largely about the problem being the do-gooders act of cosmic karma balancing. Or the laconic good ol' boys that thought flashing a little cash entitled them to do, say, act however they wanted. No, his issue was and always would be, the other males that were skirting a little too close to his territory.

When Manticore scientists had created the X5 series, of which Alec was a member, along with Max and more beings than he cared to count, really, those scientists had screwed the pooch royally on several levels.

First off, combining human and animal DNA might have been a brill idea back in the day. But with no precedent other than a five year old accident that happened to survive and his clone-like little brother, the scientists had forged full steam ahead. And that had been the problem. They hadn't taken the time to stop and think out the possible consequences of what they were creating.

So while a person, or more specifically a soldier, having super strength, super sight, and a whole host of capabilities was great, amazing, awesome... well the flip side wasn't so hot. The unplanned for pack and herd instincts, or the seizures from the lack of ability to produce serotonin, the inability for some of the soldiers to sleep, and the dreaded heat cycles of the females. Those were just some of the joys for the head honchos, not to mention the soldiers they plagued, to race after, trying to contain what could not be contained.

Even from early on, there had seemed to be discovery after discovery of genetic mishaps that produced less than desired behavior or physicality in those very soldiers. And in the case of the things that they couldn't fix, or deal with, Manticore's usual modus operandi was to destroy the evidence. And the soldiers? The people? They were just collateral damage.

So the soldiers, those that stuck around, unlike the small band of kids, Max's unit from Wyoming, the rest of them learned really quickly how to quell and disguise those despised behaviors from the higher up echelon.

But they were still present. And being the brilliant soldiers that they were, the transgenics had overcome these behaviors into, well ,not quite acceptable instances, but at least explainable when they occurred.

Alec smirked to himself as he recalled some of the most bewildering behavior that they had been able to re divert so that the scientists, guards and think tanks were unaware of what was truly occurring.

Naturally, with the drive towards producing the biggest and the strongest and the leadership skills prized in the best of the best that the military had to offer, they'd ended up with what could only be called alpha craziness. There were very few subservient transgenic males and females. Some of the transhumans had been bred that way, and that was fine. They learned quickly how to stay out of the way of the brouhaha's that occurred. And since Manticore obligingly trained their operatives in certain manners and skill sets, it sometimes helped in ranking. And then there was the natural hierarchy of the animal world that the transgenics were able to mimic.

Transgenic genome paired with more than one animal DNA were higher classed than the singles. Naturally predators outweighed the prey and it wasn't like Manticore found any desirable traits in those types of animals anyway. Other than the aquatic type. So there was that ranking there.

And so it was that Alec, created with the requisite large cat DNA and another DNA that they, mostly he, had been unable to pinpoint directly as a specific animal genome, but regardless of that, it was Alec that had risen to the top of the dog pile, as it were, in pack supremacy.

But this too was not without consequences. Because Manticore in their infinite wisdom had tried several different combinations of animal pairings and when they found success, they reached for familial strains as it were. It was hard for the transgenics to judge sometimes. Alec fought more than once for dominance in many varied ways, some subtle and unnoticed, others not so much. So while he dominated his category of feline and the other that he still hadn't discerned with name, his cousin felines were also the top of their lot. Knowing that they couldn't turn to the officers or scientists, for fear of being taken apart, they had subconsciously allowed the codified rankings of the humans to guide them.

Therefore, when instinct didn't tell them who was on top, rank did. And Alec had worked damn hard, combining wit, wisdom, brawn and the all important charisma, funneling it to all the right places. It was why he had survived when by all rights, through his own screw ups and others, he should have been dismantled as per Manticore's creed so very long ago.

Alec, coming back to himself for the moment, felt a slight ire as Logan leaned forward at the table to address him.

"Did you ever run across X5-917-!" he broke off abruptly to turn and stare all googly eyed at Max. Obviously they considered themselves to be in an on again phase of their "relationship". Of course Alec knew that Logan was no threat physically. They couldn't even touch. "I'm sorry, I never caught his name."

"He didn't give one," Max frowned and then offered her would be lover boy a tiny smile, like he was to be congratulated for his humane feeling of assigning the all importance of names to objects.

"Yeah," Alec broke in, slightly hoarse. "I've come across him before. Arrogant little prick he is, too." Both of his table mates raised eyebrows at that. Damaging words, especially from the man that Logan considered a sociopath.

And it was back to the center of the problem that Alec had been ruminating on. He knew that 917 was going to show. Hell, he almost had to. The little jerk, a double animal genome recipient as well, always on Alec's heels through the years, 917 held the opinion that Alec's few failures against his own record should have elevated him to top dog. Or cat. Or mixes thereof. Whatever it was. What made it so damnable was that 917's cocktail too greatly mirrored Alec's own, even though the specifics weren't the same, the families were. And out in the real world, their rank would mean nothing.

And Alec had arrived, just in the nick of time from Max's terse demand to help her rescue some transgenics, to see fucking 917 playing up to _his_ girl. His for more reasons than the fact that she had named him, kept him around, watched his back, when she could force herself to grudgingly do so. Max didn't realize her own status, simply by rights of the double genome. She didn't bother with the alpha crazy. She just demanded, got what she wanted and figured it was all because of her, even when it was the scientist's who had created her that way.

So now, Alec figured, he was going to have to find some way of warning 917... could he get away with calling him Prick? Anyway, he needed some way of backing 917 off of his girl and away from the inner circle he obviously wanted to be in, until he was a miserable quivering heap of chastised transgenic. And doing all this without fighting because Max would surely freak out, plus it could draw unwanted attention. Words certainly wouldn't work. So that left-!

"Oh look!" Logan enthused in an overly bright tone. Alec's eyes slid quickly to Logan, who had a grin pasted on his face, as fake as the ninety-nine cent Roloxes Sketch had once tried to hawk as the real thing. Seeing that and catching a familiar scent in the air, he stifled a groan. "917 is here." The older man turned once again to Max. "He really should pick a name. It would help him..." and here he lowered his voice drastically, like he was about to release an epithet, "...blend in."

"Yeah, it would," Max agreed mildly.

The only thing that kept Alec in his seat was the fact that Max's interest hadn't even spiked a notch. She barely glanced at the other transgenic as the creep entered, though Alec knew that all of 917's attention was focused on the powerful, apparently available alpha female in the midst of this stinking cesspool they fondly called Crash.

"Well, he's seen me," Logan went on. "It would be rude not to at least invite him to have a drink with us."

"That's sweet of you Logan," Max simpered, though Alec could tell it was affected. Trouble so soon once more in falalalala-land? Of course. Logan, neatly trapped by propriety and good breeding, rose from the table to approach the newest transgenic in their world. Alec's eyes followed him briefly before finding and then narrowing in on 917. Yeah, there was definitely a challenge in those predatory eyes. 917 squinted suddenly, seemingly ignoring him suddenly as Logan approached him, but Alec knew it was because Max had shifted, squirming just slightly closer to him. Well hell! Maybe her instincts weren't as dormant as he was starting to think they were.

Before he could enjoy her nearness, he wanted to swear as a new scent entered his nasal cavity. He grimaced distastefully. Weak! 917's warning scents had aways been pathetic. And then as Max wrinkled her nose too, glancing around to see where the offending smell was coming from, Alec sighed.

He had been thinking of maybe giving her a crash course in these hierarchies that the transgenics and probably the transhumans had developed. Now that more and more of them were showing up, her knowing these things could be vital to her health and all that. Wouldn't do to piss off the wrong person and end up with her neck snapped because she was ignoring her instincts. But now, time had abruptly run out. Ruefully, he wondered if she would mistake the occurrence as the trainers always had. He'd pretty much bet good money that she would.

Well, Alec decided, it couldn't be helped. As Logan and 917, Dirk, he heard the other transgenic telling Logan, approached, he had to smirk. Hah, too close to Dick, which would make Max think of Alec. It was about a given, with the way her mind worked. Idiot had probably picked it because it sounded dangerous. As if!

Once they were close enough, Alec eased back a little, toying with the pitcher while Logan made excuses about getting another glass from the bartender. The ordinary out of the way, he let out his own warning scent, taking careful calculation of it's composition. A little heavy on the orange scent that beer consumption always caused, but otherwise completely robust, thick. And judging by the furious look on 91- sorry, _Dirk-dick's_ face, the bugger knew it too. The little flick of the shoulders wasn't quite an admission, but Alec knew he'd have plenty of time to school the boy. Now, if only Max could fall in line that easily. Because if he was right, in about three, two, one-

"Oh my God Alec!" she hissed, glaring vehemently at the male beside her. "Did you just _fart_!?"

Yeah, this was gonna take all the saints of patiently virtues to get through that thick skull.


	8. Red

Title: From A To Z Round 2

Chapter Title: Red

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: schmoopy romance

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: Welcome to Joshua's Flying Fat Baby Angel Delivery Service. What may we deliver for you today?

Spoilers/ Time line: Post series, mid February...

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.

**R is for Red**

"And I keep telling you Mole, that trying to lock up the females will not help anything!" Dex yelled out, pounding his fist on the table in command central, reiterating the point that he had been making and trying to pound into cetain people's heads, for the past several days.

"Well, we gotta do something," Mole snapped back, yanking his cigar from his mouth, dropping his feet back to the floor, as his chair hit just previous of his appendages with an audible thump. "All you transgenics," he said the word with a heavy sneer, "are screwin' around, no pun intended and it's messing everything up."

"Mole," Max interjected with a heavy sigh and a weary glance at her co-commander, person in charge, whatever the hell people wanted to call them, Alec. He returned the look with a slight shrug. He didn't have any better idea how to handle this whole mess than she did. "The transgenics were not in charge of what DNA the scientists used on them, any more than the transhumans were. We are trying to get this resolved, not assign blame, because we _all_ realize what a problem this has turned into."

"Well if your damn females would just lock themselves down, like back in the big house," Mole snarked his suggestion, rolling his cigar between his leathery fingers.

"And if we had the facilities available here that there were there," Alec sighed, "then that's exactly what we would be doing. We all know this. We've gone over this. Right now we need to figure out how to get a handle on it before it gets worse."

"It's gonna friggin' get worse?" Mole demanded, his eyes popping somewhat humorously and incredibly. "Oh Jesus, take me now!"

"You don't believe in Jesus," Max reminded him dryly, a trace of a grin on her lips. "And if you'd read the report that Dex was kind enough to compile, you'd note that the amount of females that report experiencing heat, are increasing in frequency of cycles per year and more of the dates are coinciding with other females than they were before."

"Which means?" Mouse piped up. She was a slightly diffident transhuman, included in the meeting only because she had been elected (read pushed forward while all her peers stepped back) to head the sanitation department of Terminal City.

"It means that it's happening more often and because of the amount of hormones that the females are giving off, it's triggering other females, so that their heats are close together," Dex explained kindly, his voice modified. He had no beef with Mouse, as this was the first that he knew of that she was hearing about this problem. Mole, on the other hand...

"And this is bad because it's taking both the females and the males attention from other more important issues?" Mouse asked carefully. There were tired nods all around the table. With a puzzled frown on her face, she turned to Max. "Then how come it isn't bothering you?"

Max sighed, not wanting to admit that it was actually getting more difficult to get a handle on, but she had learned through the last several months of the siege about the reins of leadership and never letting them see you sweat, in more ways than one was a very useful adage. "I had a lot of years on the outside to learn to deal with suppressing or controlling my heats. Unfortunately, it's not a lesson than can be taught and shared in a matter if days." Without even seeming to have noticed the faces that Alec was making at her little speech, her hand shot out with unerring accuracy to hit him in the shoulder. He grumbled and rubbed at the offended spot, but neither did the blow or the complaints thereof have the power of their early days of trying to lead these ragtag soldiers into a nation unto themselves.

It was now, as it was intended to be, a tension breaker. There were a couple chuckles and those present at the meeting seemed to deflate a little and the nitty gritty of the problem arose once more.

"Okay," Mole sighed, leaning his elbows on the table as he eyed those around him with earnestness. "I admit, I don't get the jist of why you soldiers just can't mate off like you're supposed to and be done with it."

There looked to be a butt load of offense taken at his words, but Max silenced them all with one quick cut of her hand in the air. "Mole, we don't quite understand either, which is obviously part of the problem. We're trying to figure this out, but the science and psychology of it all is racing ahead of our understanding of it. Once we figure something out and try to do something about it, it seems another problem crops up. We're running to catch up and admittedly, not having much luck with that."

"Okay then," Mole nodded, trying his best to be conciliatory, an unusual trait with him, Max realized, but one that was welcome. "Is there something that can be done now and something that can be done long term? Anything? And what the hell do you mean about psychological? I thought this shit was all physical for you guys?"

"So did we," Alec snorted with another shake of his head.

"What we've discovered," Dex supplied, "is that with the surplus of transgenic males available, the females have a lot more going on in the decision making process than just taking the first comer." He seemed to realize what innuendo could be drawn from that and shook his head towards Max, who would seem the likely candidate to take offense at what he had said, but she just tiredly lifted her chin, indicating for him to get on with it. "Also, with less females available, the males are fighting amongst themselves for the available females. And then there's the aspects of birth control and suppressants, neither of which we have a reliable steady supply of."

"And the females are aware of this?" Mouse piped up and there were nods all around. "Hence," she went on, drawing the correct conclusion, "why some of the females are trying to ride this out, instead of hooking up with someone."

"So again, I ask," Mole grumbled, "why don't you just find your mates and be done?"

"Because mating isn't a biological imperative when you're not in heat," Max snapped and then seemed to instantly regret it. Mole's eyebrows, or what would have been his eyebrows, had his biology allowed for them, shot up.

"So you have to be in heat to find a mate?" he demanded, again incredulous.

"Sort of," Dex saved her from answering, a fact that he was sure Max was glad of, if judging by her suddenly reddened cheeks was any indication. "There are way too many factors to list about transgenic mating to get into here."

"Man, we're really FUBAR'd, aren't we?" Mole grimaced. Again, there were nods all around.

And just as this sweeping realization once again made the rounds of the unsurprisingly rectangular command room table, the lone silent member of this mini council smiled and carefully stood from his seat. All eyes centered on him and he grunted before speaking gently. "Problem is not just females in heat and males fighting. Heat just an excuse for what really going on."

"And what's the real problem big guy?" Max asked of Joshua.

"No one finding mates because everyone scared," Joshua declared, blithely ignoring Alec's attempts in vain to get him to hush. "We talked," Joshua went on, ignoring Alec's universal motion of slashing at his throat, "and we figured out," Joshua continued, not revealing just who "we" was, that had talked, "fear of rejection, fear of commitment, fear of no commitment. Lotsa fears, no action."

"Interesting," Dex mused, pursing his lips, "which does make sense," he announced as he took in the rest of the group. "For all our lives, Manticore tried to suppress or teach us how to suppress our emotions and now that we can supposedly express them without fear of reprisal, we all seem to be running the gamut."

"Okay, that's all sunshine and lollipops and rainbows out my ass," Mole chuckled, "but what the hell do we _DO_ about it?"

The debate that had gone in circles for days, started up again. With a smile in Alec's direction, Joshua shuffled his chair back so that it didn't topple over. He had an idea and he knew just who he needed to help.

"You sure about this suga?" Original Cindy asked, her tone full of doubts.

"I'm sure Cindy," Joshua declared, his big hand delicately cradling the cell phone that Max had pressed on him early on during the siege. "But if it's a problem, getting them..."

"No, no," Original Cindy immediately protested, "dere's no problem on that end Boo. I know a guy. Might take a week or so. This girl's jus' tryin' to imagine a bunch of emotionally repressed, super soldiers fallin' in line with this plan."

"Got nothin' better," Joshua explained again. "They are getting desperate."

"A'ight," she finally capitulated. "You'd know betta than I do. Usual drop off?" When she received his affirmation, she made her goodbyes. Joshua pressed the end call button on the phone and decided that since the first step was accomplished, it was time to move on to the next.

Max rubbed her forehead as she sat at the desk she shared with Alec in their "office"., when they had need to work together. His own was actually smaller and she didn't like the smell of it. So he had graciously given in to using hers when need arose. Which was usually about every single day. She had ducked in here several minutes ago as the arguments went around and around. She had caught Alec's eye as she went and he had given her the nod. The one that meant, 'go ahead, I've got you covered'. It was many of the surprising silent signals that they had developed over a short amount of time. Of course, Max knew that it would only be fair of her to relive him and give him a break in the near future too.

As she leaned back in her seat, her arms loosely crossed, she mused on how far she and Alec had come. If anyone had told her in those first days after she had met the cocky little s.o.b., that she would come to rely on him like another appendage, she'd have called them crazy and sent said person off to the nice men in the white uniforms with the funky jackets and trippy ink cards. Of course he could still act like a certain appendage some of the time, but now, that was just an accepted part of his personality, just like her being a frosty bitch was.

With a sigh, Max scooted her chair closer to the desk and reached for the pile of papers that had been stacked on her desk the last few days. Things that had been tabled because of this newer ongoing issue with the transgenics. These things needed attention just as much as this heat situation did.

She was just getting into the first report on the food situation when there was a short rap on the door and when she glanced up, Alec had popped his head into the room.

"Hey Maxie," he greeted amiably, but tired. Max didn't even bother protesting the nickname anymore. "Joshua just showed up again. Says he has a plan and he wants you down there."

"Okay," Max groaned slightly, debating if she could get away with bringing a few of the reports with her.

"Tonight," Alec declared, having read her hesitation for exactly what it was. "After mess, we'll come back and tackle this."

"When the hell did we get so predictable?" Max snorted out a laugh as she pushed back from the desk and stood.

"Oh, along about the time we inherited a couple hundred trannies, a world full of pissy, self-righteous normals and not enough money or supplies to deal with either," Alec quipped. He opened the door further and stepped back to allow Max through as she laughed aloud.

"You got that right!"

After several hours, many more heated debates and discussions, the big reveal of what was in the box that Joshua had brought into command with him and the tension that had been pervading headquarters had eased by quite a bit. Mole of course, had argued, but only on a minor point of the transhumans role in the entire plan. But when Max had pointed out that using the transhumans to facilitate things, it would minimize the fights and the troubles. And then, when Alec had slyly pointed out that perhaps it wasn't that, but the fact that Joshua had this plan for the transgenics, but not the transhumans, that got Mole all hot under the collar.

There was some teasing of the big lizard and for all he blustered and threatened, no one missed the fact that he hadn't actually denied Alec's claim. Joshua had brought a halt to that by declaring that they could do the same with transhumans. After all, the fears and concerns that he had mentioned earlier, were present in the transhumans as well.

After they decided how they would approach this with the rest of the populace, they broke, relieved to be going on their ways. But when Joshua caught them on their way up to their offices, to let them know that there was a little more good news on the heat situation front, the day just got a whole lot brighter.

"I don't know why I didn't think of asking Cindy," Max chuckled once more to herself. Alec shook his head as well.

"I didn't think of it either," he pointed out, full of relieved humor. And Max shook her head at him. "I mean, not like I would have asked her, but I was taught to think outside the box on occasion."

"Yeah well, we were coming at it from a medical standpoint," Max nodded tiredly, as she leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. "No one was really thinking of it as a teenage, young adult thing that has to be dealt with in everyone's life."

"If they're responsible, yeah," Alec agreed. "Do you really think she'll be able to get a hold of it?"

Max grinned. There was one thing shr had learned about her former room mate. When Cindy decided to get something done, nothing really stood in her way. "Believe me Alec, she has enough uncles, that happen to just "find" certain things falling offa trucks... it might take a little while, but she'll get it."

"Thank goodness," Alec sighed, leaning against the wall and letting his head fall back tiredly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Because honestly, I'm not so sure Josh's plan is gonna fly."

"I know," Max agreed. She hadn't had the heart to say so earlier, to his face. "But look at it this way, we can tell everyone that this is the jumping off point in a larger plan." Alec was nodding along with her. "It may not work for everyone, but at least we're all going to be pro-active about this, instead of arguing circles like we have been."

"That's true," he sighed. And then turned to glance at the door. They could both hear the heavy clatter of footsteps on the floor below them, in the main room of headquarters. "Sounds like the party is about to get started. You ready?"

Max slowly uncrossed her legs and stood from her seat. "As ready as I'm gonna be." Together they moved to the door, Alec opening it before Joshua could knock.

"Everyone's ready," Joshua announced happily as he handed them each a sheet of paper. Both transgenics glanced at the bullet points that their friend had created to help answer questions about the plan that they might encounter.

"Thanks Joshua, these will help," Max smiled up at the larger male as she carefully folded her sheet and tucked it into her pocket, unlike Alec who just stuffed it into the back of his cargo pants pocket. "Are the females all gathered?" she asked next. Joshua nodded.

"Females in warehouse, down by your apartment," Joshua told her and then turned to Alec. "Males on the opposite end of the city," he went on and then gestured to the lower floor. "Transhumans here and the youngsters are all down at gym complex," he finished, referring to the rough indoor training area that they had created. "Mated couples staying to watch over babies and little ones. Older ones helping."

"All right," Alec nodded as he clapped Joshua on the shoulder. "Sounds like every thing's good to go. Let's get this the hell over with."

"Good luck Alec," Max smirked as she began to move off. Alec gave a suffering sigh and a quirky look to the transhuman below them.

"We're gonna need it," he agreed. And with that, they all separated to their appointed tasks.

"I don't understand," one of the gathered females piped up after Max had pointed in her direction during the question portion of the meeting. Max could not recall name or designation, but it mattered little in the moment. "How is this going to solve the problem?" Max, relieved that she and Alec had already talked this out, was ready with her answer.

"It's not a solution," she offered and then had to take a moment to let the uproar settle down, again! "Ladies, come on!" she shouted. When it was back to a manageable level again, she continued. "I should have said this is not our long term solution. This is what we're doing in the mean time, to get control, or as much as we can, on the situation." There were agreeing nods from some of the older females and Max was relieved that they were calmly assessing this, rather than dismissing it. Thinking quickly, she relaxed her stance. "I want to ask, and don't feel weirded out by this, please. But, how many of you have not had a heat since you got here?"

To Max's amazement, only three or four of the females raised their hand from the collective group. Her next words addressed them, as the girl that had asked the last question was in that group. "Okay, so you guys don't already have a clear indication where you would like to go, if you want to at all." There were relieved, agreeing nods. "That's okay," she said. "There is absolutely no requirement to participate in this, if you aren't there yet. We can save this as an option for you down the road, when you're ready."

There were relieved sighs from many in the group. And then another hand shot up. Max turned and gestured to Nan, one of the older women of the group.

"Yeah Nan?"

"I'm just wondering," she began hesitantly, almost a blush staining her cheeks. "What if we don't, I mean what if the guy... guys, well, what if it's not what we want?"

Again, Max was relieved that Joshua had given her that sheet of answers as this was highlighted upon it. "Like I said, if you don't get what you want in a pairing, Joshua has the answers. Now, as I mapped out, we're letting the guys go first, since we all know that they like to think they're in control." There were some titters and giggles through the room and Max allowed herself a smile. "We have some time to figure out our response. If, again, you don't like what you get, then we women have the chance to make our move."

"Well, what about the rejects?" another woman, Suni, called out without catching Max's attention first. But since others were nodding, Max allowed it. "I mean, we all know how the males," she paused and glanced around the room, smiling apologetically at the others, "and we, I guess everyone when it comes down to it, takes rejection."

"That's why we're doing this kind of remotely," Max offered. "That's the part that we can't control. All we can do is kind of suspend the feelings as much as we can and try not to hold anything against anyone. What we're looking for here people is getting things settled in the best way possible, for everyone!" she stressed. Thee was a small silence and then Max gentles her tone. "I know rejection hurts, in whatever form, but we gotta deal with this." She eyed the room at large and there was finally murmurs of agreement in all quarters. She let out her breath as the women as a group seemed to accept this.

"Okay, just another question?" Nan called out again and Max turned with a chuckle. "What about after. I mean this takes care of the first concern, but what about after?"

Max debated quickly and then made the decision that none had been sure about yet. The women needed this information too to go ahead with this plan of theirs. "All right, this is no confirmation and please don't be spreading this around." There were more non-verbal agreements. "We may have found a supplier for a medical remedy other than the obvious abstinence." Faces and interest perked up. "It's going to take a while, but we believe that we've found a drug that can be used as a contraceptive that is compatible with our DNA. The only hitch is procuring the amounts we're going to need. We are already on getting a small supply so that we can dose the females that go into heat immediately and request the drug."

"Is it going to be mandatory?" one of the girls, Pacey, who'd just become old enough to start her heats, asked, sounding nervous and unsure.

"I would like to say no," Max offered tiredly, hating having to play the commander on this one. "But I have to urge you to think about the situation we are in currently. Yes, I know that pregnancy takes nine months, gives you plenty of time to prepare. But in the interim, we don't know what's going to happen and we need to prepare for every eventuality. That includes fighting, weapon deployment from the other side, the Familiars." She lowered her voice, the sympathy throbbing from her. "Do you really want to be in that position?" she asked as gently as she could. The girl, Pacey, tears in her eyes, shook her head and one of the girls closest to her, wrapped an arm around her. Max resolved to find the girl after the meeting and find out what was going on there. Just another one of her duties she told herself ruefully.

She could only wonder how Alec's meeting was going.

It was chaos!

Utter and complete f-ing chaos. Alec groaned as he listened to the shouts around the room, trying to figure out who had started it this time. But that was pointless. Straightening up on the chair he was standing on while the males were milling around the building, he shouted.

"Hey you assholes!"

Well that certainly got their attention, Alec snorted to himself as he mentally kicked himself for insulting a room full of testosterone driven males who felt like they had been in turn, insulted, denigrated and manipulated. He had to forcibly sooth his own hackles at the sheer number of eyes glaring at him.

"All right," he went on, still loud enough to be overheard, "you guys don't like this plan? Fine by me. Excuse us for trying to give you all something to work with. But, just so you know, the first one of you pussy assed wankers that comes crying to me because some other guy has walked off in the arms of the woman you wanted because you were too much of a limp dick to man up and try this, will be working the new drainage ditches for a month." He glared back at the room at large and the all seemed to shrink back, whether at the insults or the thought of the disgusting work in store for the complainers. He shook his head. "I'm done. I got better things to do than convince you that something needs to be done, which you all, already know."

He was about to jump down from his chair when a voice, younger and thinner than most of the others, a noticeable hint that the speaker was still an adolescent, piped up.

"They're gonna use this against us!" he called out and Alec realized that finally, _finally_ one of them managed to address the heart of the problem. And for all that he wanted to, he couldn't deny what this kid was saying.

"Look, all of you," he spoke again. "I can't say that they will or they won't. Personal experience leads me to believe that there are gonna be grudges all around." There were some laughs at that and Alec shrugged modestly. "But how much worse is this going to get? When one of you kills each other? Trying to prove to the ladies just how manly you are?" And then he hit upon an idea. "Look at it this way. Ladies, ordinary or transgenic, they love this shit! It's all about the angle, right? If you go up to a lady and tell her, 'hey baby, I've been beatin' the crap outta that guy that looked at you wrong, wanna go get it on?' how's she gonna react."

"Kick your ass to the curb man!" one of the males shouted out and there was laughter.

"Exactly!" Alec crowed, pointing his finger in the general direction that the voice came from. "But you tell a woman, 'hey babe, you've been on my mind, so I give you this gesture blah blah blah, 'cause you're a unique creature unlike any other,' you get my drift?"

"Then you wanna get it on?" the obvious heckler shouted this time and someone, probably a buddy guffawed and commented as well.

"And you still get kicked to the curb!"

"Well for Christ's sake, leave the 'wanna get it on' out of it!" Alec shouted back, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the apparent mindless sex drive of his gender as a whole. Even he wasn't that bad... usually. "To start anyway," he ruefully added. "Think guys. Play it right and this is gonna be a hell of a lot easier. Besides, if you don't make a move, the females will and then things will just get all screwed to hell."

"He's right!" another unidentified voice rang out. "Give those chicks an inch and they take a mile! We gotta move fast before they start thinking they're gonna control this whole thing!"

Apparently that was the right thing to say because there was agreement ringing out from all quarters. And then, to Alec's amazement, there was nearly a stampede to get to the door to enact this plan. As the last of the males, a younger X-6 gave him a jaunty goodbye wave, Alec realized that he hadn't even gotten to talk to them about the score of a damn impressive shipment of condoms that his contacts were bringing in.

"Fuck!" he swore, squeezing his eyes shut as he realized what Max's reaction to that little oversight would be. Then, rubbing tiredly at his eyes, he wondered idly, if Joshua's meeting was going any better than his had.

"This is a very interesting proposal," Neena, a human crossed with more bat than the other way around, unlike the unpopular X-7's, leaned forward to address Joshua, her hands placidly folded in her lap. "But I would like to ask, since it is addressing the problems that the transgenics are experiencing, why are we included? Other than to help them, I mean?"

"That's a good question," Joshua replied with a smile. He threw a quick glance at Mole, who was resolutely watching the table before him, yet another clue of what Joshua was coming to suspect. "It was pointed out to us, that just because we don't go into heat, maybe there was interest too. In finding someone to be close with."

There were nods all around the room, from those seated in the limited chairs and scrounged sofas, as well as from those standing.

"Is it perhaps a new form of coded bonding?" Luke, another transhuman asked. When the others glanced his way questioningly he smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, perhaps I should expand on that." At the encouraging nods, he went on. "We all know that we have ways of communicating non-verbally. Manticore taught us those obvious ones and we all know about body language. But I'm thinking that maybe these things aren't enough in this realm." There were nods again. "If we agree to do this," he paused and glanced back at Joshua again. Joshua shook his head.

"No one required," he offered again. "This is by choice only."

Luke nodded. "So if we agree, then it gives us the chance to make the offer with the understanding that it's another cue to perhaps open negotiations to a bonding. If nothing comes of it, that's fine, but if the other party is receptive, then we no longer have to worry about misunderstandings. The offers and the answers are decisive. I like it."

"So do I," Neena smiled. "It's always been difficult to read others. For me anyways. Sometimes the discreet direct approach is the best." There was no mistaking to where her eyes darted, Joshua noted, trying to hide his grin.

He leaned forward again to address the whole group. "Okay, one more thing, then we go get ready." Silence reigned again and he raised his voice slightly so he knew he would be heard in the back. "Headquarters also making headway on procuring birth control drugs and condoms. Still don't know how the mixes are going to work or if babies can be produced among us. But better if we have these options now. If you want to take that precaution, please see the medics and watch for announcements when shipments come in. They will be available to everyone." Happily there was even more relief evident on the faces before him. "All right," he smiled. "Any more questions?" He waited, but none were forthcoming. "Good. Now, need to go get art room ready. Gotta lot of work waiting for us."

There were chuckles at his pronouncement, but none at that moment realized just how serious it would be, until they were met with a herd of stampeding male transgenics, all eager to... get it on.

Alec shook his head as he moved along to headquarters. After the disastrous seeming meeting of the day before of all the transgenics, seperated by gender and the transhumans, he'd thought they might see the first riot on their hands. But once the guys had made it to where Joshua had set up the remainder of his little project, things had been surprisingly organized. Joshua's team was working well together and when Alec had caught up to them intent on correcting his oversight about the birth control issue, it was to find that several of the transhumans were making up lists, talking to several of the males about their preferences. Relieved that he didn't have to, he'd quickly checked and found that when reminded, all of the males, those who didn't have their own stashes, had signed up to received whatever they could.

But when Joshua had caught sight of Alec, he had quickly made his excuses to the big guy, that he' just come along to make sure that things were going smooth. Joshua had pulled him over to a table, covered with materials, but Alec, in the strictest sense of self preservation to date, had claimed that he needed to check in with Max to see how her meeting had gone. He patently ignored Joshua's claim that Max was still talking to some of the younger females. He'd escaped to his office and started putting in calls to his contacts. It wasn't long before things were coming together even more.

And now, in the morning, once the males queries had been prepared, the transhumans were dashing all over the city. There was so much laughter and the feeling of doom that had been pervading their small city had lifted quite a bit. Alec could sense it as he walked, well strolled along. He had caught sight of Mole and another female transhuman carrying several packages between them for delivery. But as laden as their arms were, it didn't hide the fact that the couple were definitely being couply. At least, that was what the hand holding indicated. Alec had smirked as a whole new avenue of opportunities for teasing the big lizard man had made themselves known.

It was quiet inside headquarters. Which was to be expected when there was just a skeleton crew in there, because most everyone else was out playing around with this new project in one form or another. He saw Jake, one of the older transhumans and one that had already declared that he would not be participating in this whole debacle. Alec had never quite figured out what the story was with this guy, but he had made no push about finding out. Everyone had a story and if Alec spent all his time trying to pry those loose, he'd never get anything else in his life done.

"Hey Alec," Jake greeted. "How goes it on the concrete jungle of madness out there?"

"Chaos," Alec dead panned. "Utter and complete organized chaos of people offering and waiting, with you guys making the rounds at a good clip." He chuckled as Jake shook his head good naturedly. "Too bad Normal couldn't have hired more of us. If there's anything we are, it's efficient, huh?"

"Too bad there aren't any tips to be made," Jake snorted as he shook his head. "We could be rolling in it by now."

"Uh huh," Alec agreed and then wrinkled his nose. "Until the females have their say. Might be lucky not to be a messenger then."

"That's true," Jake nodded.

The males shared a chuckle, but as Alec started to head upstairs, Jake made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat and Alec turned to regard him. "Problem?"

"Yeah, one of the times not to be a messenger?" Jake hinted as he lifted his eyes upwards. Alec followed his line of vision that was centered on Max's closed door.

"Oh don't tell me she's in a snit again," Alec sighed, long used to this. Jake shrugged.

"I don't know if snit's the right word, but-!" he broke off as another transhuman entered headquarters, her arms full of fake blossoms. "Hey Lizzie," he greeted. "Sal not coming back?" he asked easily. The woman smiled a greeting at both of them, but then shook her head.

"Nope, I've got this section now," Liz confirmed. "And I need to hurry, so..."

"By all means," Jake gestured grandly with his arm and the hybrid creature took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and made a quick dash up the stairs, straight to Max's office. Alec quirked an eyebrow. Someone had sent Max a rose? He should have known, he decided, muffling his not so subtle groan. Jake was already watching him with amusement on his face. There was an unintelligible shout and then the slamming of a door as Liz raced back down the steps, her arms empty. Alec's eyes widened.

"They were all for her?" he demanded, his voice higher than usual as panic swept over him. Liz nodded as she dashed past him, muttering about getting out of the line of fire. Alec stared helplessly after her. There had to have been more than a dozen of the now familiar pink and red fake roses. "What the hell?" he ground out and noted that Jake was laughing, slapping one hand against his thigh, his feet now resting on the desk top.

"They've been in and out of here all morning," Jake confirmed. "And I don't think it's over yet."

"Wait, what?" Alec demanded, his eyes darting up to the closed door of Max's office constantly. Transgenics... the males of the population were sending Max... roses?

"I have a theory," Jake offered, his amusement not hidden at all, though Alec didn't realize that it hadn't surfaced until he had seen Alec's face at the realization that there were males that weren't unafraid to make a move on the caustic, acerbic, though beautiful leader of their people.

"Uh huh," Alec muttered as he began the ascent to her office. Jake was just shaking his head. The words 'they've been in and out all morning' were rolling around his head. How long had this been going on, he wondered. Was it serious? There was another thought that plagued him. He reached her door and he could more clearly hear the distress from inside and acting quite like Liz had only moments ago, inhaled deeply and puffed up his chest, squaring his shoulders and pasting his trademark smirk on his lips. He knocked politely, but was surprised by the vehement yell that was returned.

"Go away!" she shrieked, and Alec could hear the stress plainly evident in her voice. "I'm not available!" The grin turned real at that assertion and he turned the door knob and carefully poked his head in.

"It's just me Max," he announced and saw her, just barely, since her head was buried in her arms, behind a mound of flowers. He scowled slightly as he saw, from her perspective of course, just why this was insane. It was like an explosion of pink and red had taken place within a tiny radius of just her desk top. Whatever she might have been seemed to be buried. Her head came up, her eyes darting around, to see if there was anyone else and Alec took the moment to slip inside the room, allowing the door to click sharply shut behind him. "No one else."

"Oh thank God," she groaned and her head fell back to the desk momentarily. But then it came back up. "This is nuts. Do you see this?" she demanded, picking up one of the red roses before her, waving it around like a sword before she tossed it contemptuously back on the pile. "What on earth are they thinking? Is this a joke?"

Alec wished very much that it was. He clenched his teeth together as he moved closer. Though Cindy had come through for them and found them fake flowers that were unscented, the scents of the transhumans and the males that had handled them were very clear and the melange of pheromones was raising his ire. It was almost like he was in the middle of a pack of very horny tom cats, all trying to mark the same territory at once. And the big cat in him was protesting, loud and hard. Turning his face to the side, to try and get a breath of clearer air, he shrugged.

"I doubt it," he shrugged one shoulder. "I mean, come on Max, is it such a surprise?" The startlement in her eyes told him that it was. Which meant that she had given no thought to how this would affect her. Like since she was the leader and not one of the followers, this situation didn't apply to her. Or maybe, his heart began to wish hopefully... but he quickly shut it down. He couldn't... after what had happened before... he wouldn't allow himself to go down that path.

"But why?" the whine of not wanting to have to think about this, to not want to deal with it was very apparent in her voice and it did make Alec smile, just a little. He was more used to this than the majority of the people that dealt with Max now. It still annoyed others, where it amused him.

"'kay," he began, moving closer and regretting it slightly as the aromas made themselves clear again. He just mentally grit his teeth and bore up through it. "Look at it this way. It's not so surprising, because you're our leader."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Max demanded archly, her face dark. Alec was about ready to backpedal there, knowing, like a fool, that he should have immediately appeased her ego, that she was a beautiful and desirable woman. But... honestly, she should have known that already and the last time he had said that to her, it was right on the cusp of having to do something she didn't particularly want to and he knew that she wouldn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about it because the situation had gotten way too close to being personal and when Alec got personal on thoughts of Max, hours could pass and the drool was not attractive at all.

But then, he also knew that the back track might not work on her. So he forged ahead. "Max, not all of these are a... a..." he lost it, unable to say what he meant, because he also, did not want to contemplate it.

"A proposal?" she asked, plucking several of the pink roses up and tilting her head to the side questioningly.

"Not a... a," he tried again and then gulped a little. "It's political!" he blurted out suddenly. And when she looked a little surprised and then... relieved, he ran with it. "You're our leader, you're unmated and some, most of these guys? They probably want to be the big fish in our little pond and bein' with you..."

"Yeah," she muttered, looking disgusted as she glared at the lot of roses littered over her desk. "Convenient."

The clenching around his heart eased as Max pushed herself away from the desk and stalked around the moderately sized furniture to grab a milk crate that had some files tossed haphazardly in it. She upended the files onto a filing cabinet which already had a precarious pile atop it, but the tower of paper held and she held the crate out to Alec. "Throw those in here," she instructed, jerking her chin in the direction of her desk. Alec, with a wondering frown, slowly took the crate from her and turned to the desk. He heard her rifling through some things and wondered what she was thinking about now. But he was just as glad to take this task, though his anger was rising once more as he was able to decipher single scents of those who had handled the fake blooms.

Like Philly. L'il Bastard had just told Alec four nights ago that he'd had no intention of settling down anytime soon. There was a red rose from Kyle, but the guy was a pussy in more ways than one. He was startled by the amount of pink roses from which he discerned scents of barely mature X-6's. Did they not realize that Max would have a problem with an age difference where she was the older of the couple? History had shown that she didn't mind the sugar daddy type. Hell... Logan. But younger, nuh and uh to that shit. It was when he came across Adolpho's that the rage almost surfaced. He had known, for a fact that Dolph had sent a rose, red to Lana. Was the dick trying to play the odds here? Had he just flooded the population with roses hoping to get lucky somewhere? He wouldn't put it past the jerk. He didn't realize until he heard Max's annoyed snort, that the fantasies of hunting Dolph down and tearing him a new one for his impertinence was translated on his face.

"You won't think it's so funny when it's your turn you know!" she snapped as she leaned over her desk, paper and marker in hand.

"What was that?" he asked, blinking rapidly, to try and dispell the satisfying mental image of a broken and bloody Dolph on the ground while Max sheltered in Alec's arms. He had the flowers all bundled up and was trying to avoid the scents rising from them as she wrote something out in bold block letters. He read over her shoulder and caught his lower lip between his teeth trying not to snicker at what she had written.

_Unavailable. Deposit deliveries here!_

There was a large arrow underneath, pointing downwards and Alec understanding what she wanted, grabbed the crate and followed after her. She yanked open her office door and moved around the corner. She found a nail in the wall, close to her office door and jammed the paper upon it. She whirled around, skirting around Alec as he settled the rose filled crate on the floor below, giving it a slight kick for good measure and followed her back into the office. He slammed the door just in time as they heard the footsteps begin to ascend the stairs. The click of the lock on her door had never sounded so satisfying.

It had taken a while, but the deliveries to Max's office had trickled off. Finally! When it had been silent for more than an hour, out there in the main office floor, Max finally allowed Alec to poke his head out. To both their relief, there was just Jake, sitting at his desk, watching the main door. As soon as Max's door had opened, he uncrossed his arms and glanced up.

"Is it safe for me to come up there?" he called up to Alec with a grin.

"Yeah man," Alec nodded. He studiously avoided looking down, not wanting to see the pile of offensive flowers that he was sure was littering the floor now. He watched as Jake gathered up some boxes, fairly small and started climbing the stairs. The smell of food wafted before him and Alec's stomach grumbled frantically.

It was that hunger that had prompted the two transgenics to chance a peek out. And to their surprise, as Alec stepped back to let Jake in, taking a few of the boxes from him, someone had evidently realized that the leaders hadn't made it down to mess hall.

"There's a couple more on my desk," Jake told him as he began to unload his largess before Max on her desk. "Can you grab 'em?"

"Sure," Alec nodded, his mouth salivating. "No problem," he muttered as he made his way down to Jake's desk. There were three more boxes and he stacked them efficiently and then made a quick turn, when he heard Max's shriek.

"I'll kill them! What the hell was Joshua thinking! Why won't they stop! Do I have to paint myself white and stroll around the city so they'll get the idea! This is too much! Get me Joshua on the phone now!"

The tirade was continuing as Alec, puzzled, ran up the steps to see what the hell was happening now. Was Max being bombarded with rose arrows through her window or something? But Jake had apparently found more amusement in this situation as he ducked out of Alec's way, probably to get out of the line of fire.

Alec entered her office, the boxes of grub almost forgotten, to see Max, furious, holding her phone to her ear. Her eyes widened as she took in his laden arms and then she crumpled once more, to the position he had first found her in. Sitting on her chair, her arms on her desk, head buried.

"Max... what-?" he began, but then, the overwhelming scent of pheromones hit his nostrils again and his eyes widened as he glared down at the boxes in his hands and then stormed over to the desk. All of them contained, as expected, food to tempt their fair leader. But taped to the undersides of the lids, were more of those freaking roses! The boxes dropped from Alec's hands to the floor and dismayed at the persistence of those assholes, because there was another friggin' rose from Dolph, all he could do was breath, hard and fast.

Without even stopping to think on how his behavior might be viewed, Alec started tearing the roses from the boxes, gathering them up, mangling them slightly as he did so, and then, stalking to the door, threw them with as much strength as he could muster, into the mountainous pile outside her door. Alec gripped at the door frame with one hand, the other creating very deep crescent marks in his palm as he tried to calm down.

It wasn't as easy this time around.

At least it wasn't, until he heard Max grab up her phone again. She connected right away and he heard her ask, "Joshua? How many of those white and yellow roses did Cindy provide us with?" There was a pause and then, "yeah, well, can you put my name on the taken list?" His heart clenched and then eased when she scoffed. "No! I just want them to stop. No more roses, no dinners, no presents! It's distracting, annoying and it's pissing me off! Just please, have the roses ready for me. It looks like I've got a long night ahead of me."

His clenching fingers eased. Was he hearing things right? Making the correct leaps of logic? She didn't want any of them. There wasn't one that she wanted... He gulped, just a little. Did that mean, he might still...?

He turned, an easy smile on his face once more as he made his way back to her side. "Hey Maxie?" he called softly and she glanced up at him from where she was seated. "I get that it's pissing you off, but you should still eat." He pushed one of the boxes towards her, noting that it wasn't her favorite. He scanned the boxes, bending over to pick up the three he had dropped. He settled those on the desk and with a charming grin, opened them up one by one. "Looks like, crud on a stick, burger of indeterminate meat origin or there's roadkill casserole in this one."

He was startled when she started laughing. Honest to God laughter, so much that after a few minutes she was hanging on to her sides. It was a good sound to hear and finally helped to wipe the residual anger completely from his mind.

"Oh God, Alec," she finally sighed, wiping at her face as she started pulling the boxes towards herself and grabbing a fork. "How the hell did this happen?" She obviously saw something she wasn't too happy for and pushed it towards him. He glanced in and saw his favorite of the transgenic offerings, the closest approximation to tacos. He grinned as he took it from her. He was about to push the canned chicken dinner towards her, but she had found it for herself. He waited a moment, so they could sate the worst of their hunger before he wiped at his mouth with a paper napkin that had been provided.

"It's like I said earlier," he shrugged. He pondered a moment and then admitted to her. "It's mostly political. And playing the odds." She gave him a sharp glance and he swallowed a gulp. "I mean..."

"Some of the boys went wild on their offerings," she smirked and Alec, after a moment, nodded. She did so as well. "I was afraid that might happen. Them trying to cover as many bases as they could."

"You think the females might as well?" he wondered. She shrugged.

"Probably," she sighed and then took another bite of her dinner. "You know what pisses me off though?"

"What's that?" he asked hesitantly. She leaned back a little and gestured to the boxes.

"They wasted a bunch of food," she replied acerbically. Alec couldn't hide his smile. Just typical of Max to be thinking that way.

"Well you know," he mused for just a moment. "I bet the transhumans haven't gotten much chance to stop, since they've been on the go all day. Why don't Jake and I pack these up and take them down to Joshua's? I'm sure they'll get eaten."

"Would you?" Max asked with a relieved sigh. "That'd be great."

"Not a problem Maxie," he returned. "You know I'm happy to help."

"Uh huh," she muttered dryly. "And probably laughing your ass off at me the whole time."

"Now would I do that?" he asked automatically, his hand moving to cover his chest. She didn't look upset and Alec was relieved that it wasn't that she thought badly of him, just that it would be his natural inclination to find humor in the situation.

"Well just remember this for when it's your turn tomorrow," she warned and Alec fought a grimace of distaste at the thought. Did she truly think they were going to have a repeat of this? Surely not.

"Hey, I'm in the same boat you are," he teased, watching her from the corner of his eye as she shook her head. "I've got absolutely no interest in any of these guys either."

"Well it's a good thing they're not sending you roses, huh?" Max smirked. "But no, you do realize that there are going to be a flood of roses for you. Unless you already got your answer today."

Was it Alec's imagination, or did her voice sound just a little thicker, a little sadder? No, probably just wishful thinking on his part.

"Well," he murmured, "even if I do end up in a rose blizzard, there's not one female out there that holds my interest for longer than it takes to have a conversation about their assigned tasks."

"Seriously?" Max demanded, looking incredulous, but now Alec thought she sounded pleased. She seemed so guarded.

"Yeah, seriously," he answered softly. There was a moment, just the tiniest millisecond where it looked like she might say something, but then... it passed and in silence, they continued their meals.

The meals that Alec had Jake help him deliver, more than they originally thought, since it seemed to be a popular idea that had caught on quickly among the power hungry and cajoling males that couldn't bear to take no for an answer. Several more meals had appeared while Max and Alec had gotten their fill. Alec told the last messenger to redirect the meals to the transhuman deliverers, which they'd been more than happy to do.

Once in the converted room that Joshua was finally able to concentrate on cleaning up, since all the rose deliveries had gone out. He'd happily told Alec as he'd eaten the meal he had chosen, that they could cross several females off the lists, since they had received the rose they'd wanted from the right male and had returned said rose to accept the proposal. About one quarter of the population participating in this scheme had now paired off, and very happily too. He then regaled Alec with a tale of one of the males that had come in with several packages.

Len, or X4-198, as he had formerly been known as, had picked out one pink rose and one recipient. After it had gone out, he had sat patiently until the answer from X5-612, Ashley had come back. Her scent was mixed with him. His next act had been to attach a little trinket, he wouldn't say what it was. He sent that off and then again, waited. The return had been the rose with a note that had made him laugh. This had gone on all day until, just an hour ago, Len had tied a small jewelry box to the rose.

The return, had been Ashley herself, wearing the ring that Len had made out of some polished copper piping, throwing her arms around him, screaming yes! The entire room had broken out in applause. And then Len had taken their rose and put it through the buttonhole of his shirt to let their world know that he was a happily taken man. Apparently, according to Joshua, the females were still sighing over that.

And Alec couldn't blame them. Transgenics knew how to plan, how to be patient, in most cases. Good things came to those who waited. At least that was what he had constantly told himself over the last few years about many things. It was Joshua's comment, that he was relieved that none of the other males had picked up on the gift exchange, or they would have had even more deliveries for Max, that pricked at his heart.

He spent quite a bit of time entertaining Joshua, just as the big man entertained him with conversation, while Joshua ate two of the meals that they had brought back. All of the work he had been putting in on this project needed fuel and none begrudged him that. But kind hearted Joshua of course loaded up all the trays and boxes and made it known that he was heading down to mess to return the utensils and plates. Several others added their detritus to his and Joshua gave Alec a farewell nod, tilting his chin just a little. A few softly spoken words to others on his way out and then he was gone, promising to be back soon.

Alec didn't realize it then, but Joshua had been uttering soft instructions to the others. So when he suddenly found the others making excuses to head out of the craft room, he didn't think much of it. Until all of a sudden he realized with the last transhuman remarking that she needed to meet her friend and walked out the door, that he was utterly alone. With a sigh, he gathered himself, debating on waiting for Joshua here or walking back to the main offices and check on the situation.

Remembering how angry, how betrayed he had felt, seeing all those roses surrounding Max... It was probably better for everyone, and he did mean everyone, that he stay here and try to remain calm. Leaning against one of the tables that the transhumans had re-organized, Alec barely realized that he was rubbing one of the fake pink petal leaves between his fingers, until he turned his hand and felt the slight sting of a fake thorn.

Glancing down, he chuckled as he lifted up the flower. It was in a discarded pile, probably because of the too true to life thorns. A random bit of trivia floated up in his mind as he stared at the fake flower. Roses technically didn't have thorns. They had prickles. Smirking to himself, he realized that the flower he held would have been the perfect one for Max. Partly soft looking, deceptively sharp, but beautiful nonetheless. If only it were real...

The idea had been fulminating in his brain for much longer than he cared to admit and Alec dropped the pink rose with a sigh. No matter what way he thought, what careful plan he came up with, there was always the certainty, that little nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him she'd never go for it. She would never be interested in the schmuck she saw him as. And no matter how hard he had tried to change her image of him, the first impression was the greatest and the worst. He'd never recover from her thinking that he was the reincarnation of her brother, dead at her own hands.

Then there was that little issue of telling her he had to impregnate her, as per Manticore's orders. Yeah, romantic as hell, as much as that kick to the gut had been.

But if he could... Alec smiled, his hands reaching out to gather roses to him. There weren't enough in the room to convey... Not even when they had first been delivered. Of course the roses were just symbolic, standing in where words failed. Maybe a little more symbolism wouldn't hurt? Alec wasn't artistic, not as he thought of it. Yes, he knew how to play the piano, but he hadn't truly learned the passion for it until Rachel had died. He had learned the hard way that passion wasn't all beauty and intensity, it was pain and forging strength to fuel your drive. But the bouquet of flowers that he had assembled had a certain flair to it. Especially when wrapped from bottom of fake, plastic stems to the lowest bloom in a wide baby pink and the intricate knot of gold braid to hold it together. It was doubtful that many knew what the knot would mean, hearkening back to the days when 'tying the knot' was the very literal translation.

Smiling softly, Alec lifted the bouquet to his face. Too bad it didn't smell like the real thing, he decided. There was only his own scent. And that was probably all there would ever be. He sighed and was about to take it all apart, when the bouquet was torn from his hands.

"Hot run!" Joshua barked out as he whirled away from Alec, taking the blasted flowers with him. Alec was so stunned for a moment, that he hadn't heard Joshua return, that Joshua had taken the bouquet, that he was running off...

To where? God and Joshua only knew. But Alec was fearful of two very distinct things. That Joshua had it all wrong. Or worse? That he had it right.

Unfortunately, Alec's fear and startlement gave Joshua enough of a head start that catching him was going to be impossible. The transgenic, for all that he was huge, was fast. Probably too many years of learning to scurry away from the guards at Manticore. Or the scramble for food. Both were powerful motivators.

Alec didn't care that they were creating a spectacle, racing through the streets of Terminal City as all and sundry stared after them. Of course, it didn't help that Joshua was laughing, yelling things like _'hot run!'_ and _'special delivery coming through!'_ to clear his path as he headed straight for headquarters. The largest group that had broken apart for Joshua to pass had quickly bunched up again to turn and stare after the large transhuman. Thus they didn't see Alec coming, who bowled several people over, thus slowing him even further. Going around them hadn't even entered his mind.

When he at last reached head quarters, he dashed inside and was stopped cold when he saw that Joshua had already reached Max's office. Swearing under his breath, Alec's eyes darted around, but the main office was empty, abandoned. Quaking under the thought of going up there and trying to play it all off as a joke, Alec instead hurried to the support wall opposite the stairs across the room. He shimmied up the braces and once atop the catwalk, finding the appropriate placement to see through the open door, stilled and watched the horrific episode unfolding before his eyes, across the way.

"Joshua, hey," Max greeted happily, standing from her desk. Alec could just see her head over Joshua's shoulder from his new vantage point. "Did you bring those answer roses I needed?"

"Not yet Max," Joshua answered gently, his voice slightly muffled as he was facing away from Alec. "One last offer before Max make her decision." He took his hand from behind his back to present her with the bouquet that Alec had created as the transgenic male muttered curses under his breath. His eyes however, were glued to the figures across the way. He had to know...

"All these?" she sighed. "Who're they from?" Joshua's hand dropped, empty, so she must have taken them.

"Max smell," Joshua said simply. Any other time, Alec would have snorted and giggled over that, but he was straining, waiting.

"This is...?" Max's voice was high, sounding... panicked? Suddenly her dark hair disappeared from his view and Alec winced when Joshua suddenly moved forward. He could see little more, but heard her voice again. "What does he mean?" His lower lip started to hurt, he was chewing on it so hard as he tried to breathe quietly.

"Let's see," Joshua mused as he leaned over the young woman. "Count twenty-eight roses. Enough for a month, a moon time. In month, a few white roses, Alec not want anything from Max. Yellow roses, days Alec just want Max to be his friend. So many red, must have a great passion for Max. And look, more than one pink. Alec must really want to be Max's mate."

There was a moment of silence and then her voice, higher than before, pained and upset. "For a month?" Joshua laughed, loud and hard before reaching to pat at some part of her body. Probably her head, as he did when she didn't fully understand something he had to explain to her.

"Not enough roses to last for every day of Max's life," Joshua told her calmly. Alec, as tense as he was, was still relieved that someone had gotten it. It was exactly how he had meant it. And even though Max hadn't gotten it, at least she'd had someone other than him to explain it. Because as it was, Alec didn't think he could ever look her in the eye after this moment. But that didn't stop him from watching. She murmured something that he couldn't decipher and Joshua chuckled again. "Joshua go get answer roses now. Max have decision to make."

She didn't answer and Joshua simply turned and exited the office. Once he was out of the way, clattering back down the stairs, Alec had a clear view of the woman that he loved desperately, intimately and would for the rest of his days. Crouching, poised, barely breathing, he watched her leaning against her desk, staring down at the bouquet in her hands, his heart screaming mutely.

At long last, one of her hands moved and Alec watched with a sinking heart and stomach as her hands deftly found the few white roses and plucked them from the bouquet before she set the rest of the bouquet on her desk. His breathing picked up, heaving almost now as he watched her regard the white roses in her hand and then give a small nod before she pushed herself away from the desk and moved out of his eye line.

With a gasp, Alec collapsed silently the rest of the way to the rickety floor of the cat walk. He hadn't realized until that second that there had been some secret part of his heart that had been hoping so desperately...

And all he wanted now was to be somewhere hidden away, somewhere he could lick his innumerable wounds. After all, he finally had his answer.

The walk down to the bar seemed longer than ever. That could have been exacerbated by the fact that it seemed no matter which way Alec turned, there were couples that had found their happy ever after.

They had been there before, but Alec had been in a much more magnanimous mood to deal with them before. The before where his heart hadn't been ripped out, shredded into bits, trampled, thrown into a blender to be pureed and then handed back to him with an indifference that cut deeper than a sword.

He noticed too though that there was a crowd spilling around The Crook's Nook, not their brainchild of a name, but what they could make out of the faded paint on the sign over the door. Not just a heavy rotation of patrons, all male, inside, but lounging out of doors as well. Not like the sector cops were there to enforce the no bottles outside of a bar rule. Not like there were bottles, since the only thing the Nook offered was Mole's rotgut brew. It was not for the faint of heart. And it was the only thing aside from certain death that numbed a transgenic.

The other thing that he noticed as well, was that all the males seemed to be sporting white roses somewhere on their body, most on their shirts or jackets. Here and there were a few yellow roses and when he saw the glum faces that went with the flowers, he understood. Len, that blasted example had pinned the rose that Ashley had returned to him as a clear signal, like the rest of the population had needed it, that they were now together.

So those that had been rejected were gathering to commiserate. But that was not what Alec wanted. He just wanted numb, unfeeling... he wanted a bubble. Where people couldn't see his true misery and therefore ask about it, where they couldn't hear the pain in his voice. He was sure it would be there as he edged his way through to the bar. But it wasn't necessary, because the moment someone realized that he had no drink, one was pressed into his hand.

And grateful for teeny tiny mercies, Alec gulped the brew down, ignoring the burn it produced in his throat immediately and probably the steam coming out his ears. Once the liquid had disappeared down his throat, he gasped and held the glass out before himself. "Another," he commanded breathlessly. Glasses were switched out and he repeated his actions, only seconds slower than the first draught.

"Damn man," Ford grunted. "Guess we don't need to ask who you finally got the stones to..." he trailed off as Alec managed the amazing feat of glaring daggers at the man while finishing his drink. Ford handed him a third glass and spun away to fill more orders. A slight buzz filling his ears that he knew wasn't the hum of conversation, though there was plenty of talking going on, Alec stumbled to the closest empty seat. Right into the midst of a sob session of who had been approaching whom and why it was the saddest day ever to be a male. He snorted softly as one of them, he couldn't be bothered to look and see who it was, murmured wistfully,

"It'll be better tomorrow. Who knows, probably some chicks out there that are just waiting to make their moves."

"Yeah," replied another disembodied voice from close by, "why the hell are we sittin' around here like asses. We should be out checkin' out what's left."

"Fuck man, I'm not trollin' the losers!"

"And you wonder why you're sittin' here tonight, ya dick!"

It went on like that for some time before the matter was settled to everyone's satisfaction, though Alec could care less. Before, he would have been with the group that had left, lookin' to offer solace and sex to those that hadn't found a mate that night. Looking for a good time. He could try that again, but fresh in the face of rejection, Alec wasn't sure he'd be ever to look another female in the face again.

Alec had no idea when or how he came to be poured into his bed. What he did know was that for the first time in his life, and even with drinking Mole's brew before, he had woken with a hangover. The pounding, the nausea, the dizziness, all like Sketchy had complained of before. Alec knew then that he'd never tease Sketch again as long as he lived. Which, if the pounding continued, might not be that long of a promise to fulfill.

Gradually, he worked himself, still in his clothes from the previous day, thankfully minus footwear, to the edge of the bed, where, instead of sitting up, he just rolled over, landing on his hands and knees on the floor. The pounding intensified and this time, came with an obnoxiously happy voice.

"Alec up?" Joshua called through the door. "Delivery time!"

Squinting at the red numbers of the clock face on his dresser, Alec couldn't make them out as they blurred. Whatever the time was, it was still too damn early for Josh to be there. Maybe a few years from now they could discuss delivery time. But Joshua was not a happy transhuman to be ignored. The pounding started up again as Alec tiredly trailed to his bathroom.

Every squeaking floorboard, every protesting metal groan, it all thrummed straight to his head. But water was needed because even transgenics could dehydrate. Of course, it was a measure of how messed up he was that he didn't realize that dehydration could lead to his death and thus end this mess he had created with his spur of the moment idiocy. Well, that and Joshua's fleet footedness.

"Alec! Got delivery for you," Joshua called again. But there was no noise on the door and the man sounded much closer than he ought.

"Go away Joshua," he called back. "I'm not a business. I'm not open, just... leave!" With a muffled groan, blinking wearily, Alec tossed back the tepid water from the glass he'd just filled, feeling like he'd drunk a mix of bile and cigarette butts. Smacking his lips together disgustedly, he stared a puzzled moment at the glass in his hand, until he realized that he had tasted that before he had drank the water.

Feeling decidedly stupid, he set the glass back down and reached for his toothbrush and paste. His movements slow, he began the task of cleaning up, studiously avoiding his reflection in the mirror. It was then that Joshua, standing outside the bathroom door now, tried again.

"Alec, have delivery for you," he repeated. "From Max." It was said simply but Alec still cringed instinctively.

"Forget about it man," he finally answered, defeated, leaning heavily on the counter surrounding the sink. "I already know her answer."

"How Alec know?" Joshua chuckled. "Alec not have special sight. Not a mind reader." He laughed again at his own joke as Alec pulled the toothbrush from his mouth fully.

"Didn't need it," he snapped slightly. "I saw her last night. When you delivered them. I heard what she..."

"Alec cheated?" Joshua sounded so surprised and taken aback that Alec winced.

"No!" he protested automatically. And then tiredly. "Yeah... whatever. Fact is, I've got my answer already. So you can just toddle off and finish making your rounds."

"Yes, Joshua needs to go," the big man sighed. "Flowers getting heavy."

"Well then, go," Alec grunted. "I'm not stopping ya!"

"No," Joshua snapped back. "Joshua chubby angel today. Alec, you take these flowers!"

Flowers? Alec squinted his eyes once more, twisting slightly to see Joshua pushing the door open. "Flowers?" he repeated out loud. "Christ! She hates me that much that she has to send a bouquet of fuck you's..." his voice trailed off as the first sight of a large bouquet of flowers entered his sight. He had to blink several times rapidly to make sure that his vision hadn't suddenly gone wonky.

There before him in a mass of greenery were the luscious reds, vivid yellows and most of all, the delicate pinks of the system they had denoted. His hand came up automatically as Joshua thrust them forward. The weight of the bouquet in his hand brought him out of his stupor.

"These...?" he began, but somehow, a suspicious moisture in his eyes and a lump in his throat kept him from saying more. His gaze darted from one flower to the next. Not a single white among them.

But surely that couldn't be right. He brought them closer and a familiar tang of scent exploded in his face and he inhaled deeply, savoring it, then realizing that it was more than that. He buried his face deeper, taking in the combined scent of her... and him. And just a hint of Joshua, but Alec's mind was quick to assure him it was just from the big guy handling it as his duties suggested.

"There's no white," he mumbled and glanced up when Joshua started howling with laughter.

"No white, barely any yellow left," he guffawed. "Max have to use them up to send her answers today."

"Really?" he had never known his own voice to sound so... so young and hopeful.

"Yeah," Joshua nodded. He clapped Alec on the shoulder, making the shorter male wince. "Better hurry though Lots of males still see red for Max."

"Yeah, yeah," Alec repeated, his eyes wide, his mind whirling. "I should... I should... go? Right? I mean, she..."

"Uh," Joshua leaned back to regard his friend and then shook his head. "Alec clean up first?" he tried to suggest delicately and Alec, a clear plan given to him, nodded his head for just a moment, his eyes still lit up though, even against the monster stomping in his brain.

"Right," he agreed. "Shower, shave, fresh clothes," he decided, but first, reached for the pink rose that held her scent alone and pulled it clear of the rest. He held it aloft to his nose and inhaled deeply. "It's gonna be a good, good day, Josh my man!"

"That it is," Joshua nodded back solemnly.

It didn't take an electrically charged Alec long to finish preparing. Yes, he wanted to run to her straight away, but he also had the good sense not to insult her by making her ill with his appearance and lingering scent of Mole's home brew. So when he left his apartment, he was dressed as impeccably as possible, his hair smoothed down, every inch of skin gleaming from the scrubbing he had applied to himself.

While he had dressed, Joshua had created a bouttionere for his lapel with the flower that he had chosen. Alec had grinned and expressed his thanks and then left the big man to his other deliveries. It wasn't a far walk to Max's apartment from his, but it felt like he was walking on clouds the entire way. He knocked gently at her door, holding the bouquet she had returned to him before his chest, like the enraptured suitor that he was.

When she made it to the door, he could almost swear that he heard heavier than usual breathing, making him wonder if she was still nervous or unsure about this. And when the door swung inwards, he could see it in her eyes. The half smirk that lifted one corner of his mouth was softer than usual as he lifted the bouquet anymore.

"Seems that this lovely flower arrangement was waiting for me when I got up this morning," he offered quietly. "Sure brightened my day. Thank you Max." The words were full of sincerity and he hoped to any major deity that he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around at the moment that she could sense that. Know that.

But her attention faltered just slightly as she leaned on the door. She had made no move to invite him in and in the tiny silence that followed his words, Alec began to feel his nerves trying to make their way back up his throat. But then, her hand reached out, past the bouquet, past his arm, the tips of her finger resting against the boutonnière that Joshua had made. Alec's eyes followed her hand as she brushed the petals and then back to see her lip tremble and the tears gathering in her eyes.

"I was hoping that I'd see this," she whispered before her hand dropped. With that admission, Alec took one large step forward, pushing the door shut behind him and swept her into his arms. There was no hesitancy now as his lips descended to hers already turned up to meet his. The moment their mouths met, it was like an explosion of every known firework was going off between them and Alec finally felt like he had found where he belonged.

As he held her as close as physically possible, she squirming and burrowing further into his embrace, Alec realized that it didn't matter if the rest of the world saw red for her, because together they would only see pink. And in the long run, as always, it only mattered what Max thought. And he had definitely received her answer.

Tucked up together in bed, Alec stretched out his full length, he was musing on the events that had led them here, to this place.

"That was effing amazing," he sighed happily. Then turned his head slightly. "Wasn't that amazing?" Max, turned in to his side, her head cradled on his chest, murmured something and he tilted his head to hear. "What was that sweetheart?"

Max lifted her head and turned it slightly, smiling beatifically, and repeated herself. "Yes, amazing. Tired now. An' a little sore."

"Oh, of course," Alec nodded, his left hand coming up to gently nudge her head back to his chest. "Sleep. You deserve some rest." She did as he instructed, dropping off quickly as Alec continued to stare up at the ceiling. He was full of restless energy, but instinct told him to stay put with his mate. He wanted to crow from the rooftops, but Maxie needed him here. After the miraculous moments they had shared not long prior, it was the least he could do. To stay by her side, instead of hieing off to brag his devastatingly well shaped arse off about their insane happiness.

He chuckled to himself as he thought that scenario through. He was quite sure that the populace of Terminal City would be quite bemused with him. Bragging over something that the majority of whom he would be bragging to, having already accomplished said task. Mating, so huge, so intense and so very private when you came right down to it. There really was no need, the news was sure to be spread through other means. Alec would stay put where he was truly needed. Where he had found bliss. He glanced down at Max once more, the amazement and love not abating one iota.

The pride that had been building in his chest over the last several hours was nearly ready to burst when a knock came at the door. He called out softly, waiting to hear who it was before he bade her enter.

Luna came in slowly, her flowered outfit making Alec grin again. He had no idea who it had been that had found scrub outfits for their med team, but it gave the nurses a sort of festive air. And for an event like this, it was entirely approapriate.

"Hey hey, Daddy," Luna greeted, her arms full as she approached the bed. "Max asleep?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded, extracting himself from his mate's side just a little. She turned in her sleep, wincing some as the movement pained her in some way. "Just a few minutes ago, she dropped off."

"Good," Luna nodded. She was right by the bed as Alec got himself to a seated position. He held his arms out as Luna deposited their newborn daughter into his arms. "We had a good bath, excellent check with Doc and now she's probably about as tuckered as her momma. Did you guys pick a name yet?"

"Still undecided," he grinned, barely sparing Luna a glance as he watched his child yawning delicately. Max however, seemed to be more aware than she had been letting on, because she patted at his leg.

"Rose," she mumbled and Alec grinned. He carefully extracted his left hand from his daughter's underside to sooth his wife.

"All right honey, if you insist," he chuckled and then did look up fully at Luna. "Looks like we're going with Rose Elise McDowell."

"Gotcha," Luna nodded, whipping out a slip of paper and pen from her scrub top pocket and writing it down. She moved over to the bassinet, old and used, but still serviceable and inserted the card into the slot that held the baby's information. She gave it a pat and then another smile to Alec. "Call me if you need a hand with anything," she instructed and then slipped out of the room. Alec was already worshiping at the tiny altar of love his, no, their daughter had brought with her arrival.

"Yeah," Alec murmured as his daughter waved one tiny fist that had worked it's way loose from the pink blanket she was swaddled in. He inserted one finger into her hand, her grip as strong and as sure with him as her mother's was. "You're definitely a Rose. My little flower bud. I'll tell you something sweetie," he crooned, lifting her slightly, enjoying the fresh clean scent of baby. The mixture of him, of Max and something that was all Rose's own, mingling and invading his mind like incense. "Just like pink has always been the softer side of red? You're definitely the softest side of Momma and me."

And as Rose Elise yawned once more and fell to sleep to dream baby dreams, her father plotted and planned, glad that he had bought all that pink paint for the baby's nursery. That Joshua had gladly volunteered to paint it for him. That Cindy had created a beautiful cake to celebrate the coming McDowell baby. That friends and their family had come together to help them prepare with clothes, food and furniture.

Amazed, that all the love that had started with some red roses and even more colorful passion could culminate in this miraculous event.


	9. Jack

Title: From A To Z

Chapter Title: Jack

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dark Angel. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: sweet

Pairing: Max/ Alec

Summary: It's been ten years, perhaps it's time to let go.

Spoilers/ Time line: This fiction is a continuation of the earlier fiction "Entrance".

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

**A/N: This is my interpretations of the second round of A to Z fictions, using the prompts that Seamagik has come up with. Thanks for the inspiration, as well as Nickeldime17 for getting this all started.**

**J is for Jack**

"I'm not saying it's not a good name Alec," Max sighed tiredly. Their newborn son's unusual and early arrival notwithstanding, Max had thought that things would settle down fairly quickly. Unfortunately, as Alec had pointed out, the little tyke had seemed to not only inherit her shark DNA fueled sleeping patterns, along with the whole gamut of other typical newborn behaviors. And while she had would normally have no problem staying up with the baby through the night, she hadn't taken into account the toll that giving birth and trying to learn breastfeeding, diapering and just the host of new parenting skills that everyone had assured her would come in time.

So for Max, already worn out from pregnancy, birth and her bodies need for near constant fueling to feed her child, she simply did not want to have this conversation with her husband. Normally, if Alec wanted something, he would whine, cajole, plead until she gave in, or simply do it and ask forgiveness after the fact. But since she had hid the name registry application from him, since they hadn't had one chosen before the ordinary doctors had released her and Baby Boy McDowell from the hospital.

It was a little difficult for Alec to simply write in the name he liked and send it off to the registrar's office in downtown Seattle. Of course, it had probably occurred to him that he could just go get another form, but was wise enough to realize that if he did something as important as naming their child without her, she'd probably kill him. So he was stuck with the cajoling.

"It's a good name," Alec reiterated and Max rolled her eyes. She was lying down with the baby, who was still stubbornly refusing to sleep. The nearest he came was a light doze and every time there was movement too close to him, or sound within his surprisingly wide range of hearing, he would pop his eyes open. In the two days since they'd come home, from their one day stay at the hospital, they had tried for a workable routine. Luckily, when Alec had explained the babe's lack of sleep, friends had been understanding in cutting him some slack about getting in to work. Of course, they were the de facto leaders of the whole shebang. So if Papa Alec needed paternity leave, that's exactly what he got.

"It's strong," he went on. "Women like it, men respect it. Look at history."

"I don't want to look at history," Max grumbled, though she wasn't refuting his arguments. She was well aware of the appeal of men who'd worn the name proudly. "I'm just thinking of how it feels, you know, down the road, when I'm calling his name to come to dinner or come home or if he's in trouble..."

Alec grinned at that, glancing down at the baby, wide awake beside his mother. His eyes were still only able to focus on close range items, but he still followed the argument with attempts at flicking his eyes between the shapes and noises that he was rapidly coming to associate with safety, warmth, food and most especially, love. It made no never mind to a three day old what his name eventually would be.

"Given that he's my boy," Alec chuckled, "then I'll think that last one will be a given." Ceasing his prowling of the bedroom, Alec gently eased himself down to the foot of the bed, as Max pulled her legs up out of his way. He reached for the nearest calf and gently massaged. "Do you not like Alexander with it?" he wondered. Max shook her head. "Do you think the syllables don't work?" She shook her head again, not looking to him, but the darling infant that was starting to root around, working his little limbs as well as he was able. Which was to say, barely at all. Her hand stroked gently over his tiny head, covered with a fine dusting of sandy brown hair, a nice medium between his parents.

"What about Ethan?" Max piped up suddenly, though quiet, as she soothed her son. "It's a nice name too."

"Ethan Alexander is nice," Alec mused. "But I still just really like Jack." She sagged a little as he didn't even seem to want to think it over. "How about this? You give me Jack," he began, but at her skeptical look, chuckled and amended his statement. "I mean the name, he looks too content where he's at to move him. And if we hurry up and decide, then maybe he'll take a nap."

"No such luck," Max snorted softly.

"Anyway," Alec continued as he resumed rubbing at her leg. "You give me Jack and I swear, the next one, you get one hundred percent control of the name?"

"Even if I want to name it Delilah Shanaquay McDowell?" she taunted immediately and then giggled at Alec's scrunched up face and hunched shoulders as he winced.

"I know you're not that cruel," he sighed, "but yes. Even if I'm not thrilled with the name..."

Finally Max gave in, seeing that Alec wasn't going to give up this idea. "Alec, I just can't. It hurts too much."

His face softened drastically. "What hurts babe?" he wondered, abandoning her legs to turn himself to scootch up behind her, and cradle her in his arms. There were no tears on her face or even starting, but he was wary all the same.

"Jack," she shrugged the shoulder she wasn't laying on. "My brother had a grand mal seizure and died. I can't... I don't want to think about that every time I look at my child."

"His name was Jack?" Alec realized in a painful instant. He'd known about the seizures, of course he had, and Max had told him once that it was these events that had prompted their escape from Manticore.

Things didn't need to make much more sense than that, but when he glanced down, at the child that lay beside his wife, to think that there was a time that his little boy could be more helpless than he already was, to have that added danger haunting him, stalking him... He suddenly knew exactly how Max felt. He pressed a kiss to her temple, his voice low as he responded again. "Okay baby, no Jack. We'll figure something else out."

Alec felt the shuddering release of her tension, did not need to see her face to know the tears leaking from her eyes. He could smell them, as it seemed, could their son, who began to coo worriedly. His hand instinctively stole from her elbow, to between them, giving one finger for his son to grasp at while the others spread over her stomach. Jack held him and a moment later, Max's hand slid over his knuckles as she sniffled, forcing a smile for the littlest McDowell.

They all heard the knock, but not the approach that had brought it to the bedroom door at the same time. Max and Alec's head's came up, both their hands moving to cover the baby as they assessed the newcomer. And relaxed instantly when they saw it was Joshua.

"Sorry," the large transgenic apologized as he peeked in the open doorway, his right hand resting on the door jamb. "Knocked on door. Heard the baby. Didn't know if you two were awake."

"Yeah Josh, we are," Alec pointed out unnecessarily, even as Max gave a huge ear cracking yawn. He cleared his voice and tried for a smile that wasn't all grimace. "What'd ya need?"

With an unsure movement, Joshua lifted the book that he was holding in his other hand. "Brought this. Thought it could help." He glanced down at the book, flipping it around from where he'd been showing them the cover to smile once more at the imitation of life represented on the front.

He glanced up to see them both wearing similar expressions and Joshua cleared his throat. "Was curious," was all he said to explain his fascination with names now. It wasn't quite equal to their own, but he doubted he ever would be. "Joshua means 'God rescues'." He informed them with a frown. He lifted the book to flip through it to the last point of interest he had had. "And all sorts of names in here." When he came to the section he had marked, he gestured with it more to Alec. "Found Jack. Means gift of God. Actually, that's Jonathan. Which Jack is a nickname for." He barely noticed Alec's wince and wondered if the baby was twisting his finger, before he decided that Alec surely could handle that.

"We uh, decided against Jack big guy," Alec declared, gently moving himself to a seated position. Joshua frowned, knowing how much Alec had liked the name. But he thought carefully before speaking. They both had to like the name to agree. That was the problem from earlier. The names they'd come up with weren't just right. Names had to be just right, since they lasted a lifetime. His friends glanced at one another and he knew he did not miss the tiniest of nods that Max gave her husband, who frowned and rubbed at her hip.

The baby began to fuss a little and Max gave her full attention over to him, knowing that her husband was there to shelter and protect them, should the need arise. Not that it would with Joshua also there. Alec scooted a little towards the end of the bed and Joshua respectfully pulled his eyes away from Max and the baby completely. He might be a transhuman and their friend, but you still did not disrespect another's man's mate by staring at her in an intimate,... bonding moment, which was apparently what the baby wanted. Alec stood from the bed and moved to Joshua's side.

Joshua kept his eyes on Alec for several reasons, fully prepared to be gently ejected from the room. But his friend stopped to touch the baby book. And then glance up into Joshua's eyes. "One of her brother's that died early," he spoke so softly, like it was an ill omen, "was named Jack."

"Oh, right," Joshua nodded and then frowned. "Sorry." He pushed the book towards Alec. He wanted to offer to stay, to let them rest without fear of missing something the baby needed, but he knew it was still to soon for their instincts to let him that much further in. In a few days, as some instincts relaxed and others kicked in, he knew they'd broaden the circle. Just like the others. Maybe sooner with the baby's propensity for lack of sleepiness. He turned to go, but Max called him back.

"Wait!" she called softly and Joshua paused. "Joshua, you said Jonathan?"

"Uh huh," he answered with a grunt, not staring. Did not need to see Max's ta ta's! He could hear her chuckle and Alec's as well.

"Nice blush there Josh," he teased. Joshua quickly pulled his hand up to shield his peripheral vision and turned his head back to hiss unhappily at his friend.

"Don't need to see Max's goodies," he grunted. "For Alec and the baby."

"Sorry Joshua," the both apologized at once, one sounding amused, the other contrite. It was Max that continued though. "There, I have a blanket. It's okay."

Joshua sensed the air before consenting to put his hand down. Alec looked completely relaxed, so Max had done what she said and had given her permission. Perhaps baby sitting would come very soon.

Once his hand was lowered though, Max went on, still watching her son. "I think I like Jonathan. He is a gift after all."

"Of course, my love," Alec agreed lightly, but Joshua could see he was in a way, humoring her. It was more to see where she was going with this, he was sure. But then something seemed to click with the other male. "And it would be a way of remembering him, honoring him, if you like."

"Yeah," she agreed a little breathlessly. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Jonathan Alexander McDowell," he tested it out. "Three, four, three. A good strong name with lots of syllables for you to lovingly yell out when the little guy's acting up."

"Cause we both know he will," she chuckled and then cooed back at the baby making some wild, erratic movements under the lightweight sheet she was holding over them. "I think he likes it too."

"Hell, he's my kid, he don't care about a name at this particular moment," Alec snorted in amusement, his eyes glowing. It didn't take them debate or hours, just a momentary recognition of what felt just right and their decision was made. A much easier prospect now, over what it had been between them in the past.

"Hallway linen closet, rolled up in the blue towel with the bleach stain," Max announced and Joshua's eyebrows furrowed closer together. That was quite the subject change, but apparently Alec understood his wife much better than anyone could credit.

"On it," he announced, nudging Joshua in the arm, for their friend to precede him.

"Bye Max," he called softly over his shoulder. "Bye bye Jonathan. Uncle Joshua see you later."

"Definitely," Max called back as Alec was pulling the door shut behind them. "You little big man are gonna have so much fun with your uncle. But nappy nap first, right Jonathan? Now listen to my voice, cause I mean it this time. No more wakey, let your eyes drop..."

Alec chuckled and shook his head before his own yawn threatened to overtake his face. "Come on," he muttered and Joshua obediently followed. They made it to the hall closet and quickly found the towel Max had been talking about. All was made clear as Alec unrolled it and found the registry paper that she had hidden, letting Joshua understand too. With a little pomp and ceremony, Alec made it to the table to fill in that all important information. Signing his name to the bottom with a flourish, he settled some large objects at either end, to keep it from rolling up once more and sent his friend off with thanks and a promise that yes, Gods yes, Joshua would be babysitting Jonathan very, very soon.

_About ten years later_

"Pass the ball man!" Cortlyn yelled, from one end of the yard. The black and white soccer ball was being dribbled forward by one of the other older kids who had been playing this game longer than the younger ones. But age didn't matter with this particular group of kids. They played hard and they played to win. After all, they were what made up the small inter transgenic soccer league.

Alec had to smile as he watched his son at the farthest away position from where he was currently seated, on the patio, a beer in one hand, chips in the other. Jonathon was in the position of goalie today. It wasn't his usual position, but today's game was technically just supposed to be for fun. After all, it was a party.

"How come they decided to switch it up today?" Ward, Tiggy's dad asked. His daughter had complained several times that she wasn't getting enough play time, yet she seemed perfectly content today. He reached froward to capture some dip on a chip.

"They look more like they're playing rugby than soccer," another father chuckled, this one the honorable Soren Jensen, who worked in city hall with Alec. The years had wrought a lot of changes, in the city and the world and Alec and Max had been through it all, together for good and ill. Alec, working the public sector angle and Max the strategic of Terminal city and their denizens.

"They do, don't they?" Alec nodded. Soren's daughter was here as well, of course, but the girl had elected to stay on the sidelines with a few other kids who didn't want to get knocked down in the fracas. "That's why we have our own league," he explained easily. It wasn't anything too new, since they'd all gone through the learning curve with their kids. "It helps the kids to focus their strength and aggression through sports and academics. But it's also not fair to ordinary kids who don't have their advantages."

"Yeah, but didn't you guys play East Middle School last week?" Soren wondered. Alec took a sip off his beer and nodded.

"There's always some coach that wants to test his kids off ours," Alec agreed. "Middle was one of them."

"And you trounced them, if I remember correctly," Soren chuckled. Alec grinned a little.

"But they did it on skill," Alec pointed out.

"We've got a very strict regimen when it comes to our kids playing those games," Mole explained as Soren turned to him. The man had been around enough that he no longer instinctively flinched when the lizard like transhuman spoke. "Any player caught playing what any other coach would consider as too rough, faces removal from the game. Or worse."

"Worse?" Soren demanded lightly, his eyebrows going up.

"A week's suspension from the team," Alec offered, "if another kid gets hurt."

Soren whistled lightly. "Sounds harsh."

"But that's the way the world works," Mole shrugged. "You think an adult can just merrily go on their way if they hurt another adult? I know they do, what with crime statistics being what they are. But we're trying to teach the kids very real consequences to life actions."

"Listen to him now," Max giggled, as she approached with Mary, Soren's wife. They were both carrying some platters of food, more geared towards the adult's appetites.

"I know," Mary grinned her agreement as Liana, Joshua's new friend, brought up the rear. "I remember those gloom and doom speeches of his."

"Rants were more like it," Mole teased her. For some reason, they had a strange friendship. Mostly, it seemed to the others, it only worked because Mary Jensen refused to put up with Mole's bullshit and he respected her for that.

"What do you think?" Max asked as she leaned slightly against her husband after setting the plate she'd held down on the table. "Are they about ready for burgers and cake?"

"Probably soon," Alec answered as he wrapped his arm loosely around her waist and looked up at her. The time had barely touched her features. The only change since he had met her was the filling out of her face, breasts and hips since giving birth to their son had marked her forever. That and the change in hairstyles. She didn't normally care, but at some point or another every few years, she would lop off the appropriate amount that she was annoyed with and start again. That had been a while ago, this last cycle and her hair brushed his arm as she turned to wave at someone across the expanse of yard.

"Cindy's here," she smiled and Alec twisted in his seat to see Max's oldest and dearest friend.

"Awesome," he grinned.

"Give them fifteen more minutes and then call them in to wash up please," she directed and leaned down to press a kiss against his lips. Alec smirked up at her and then nodded, pulling her close just one more time before he released her to let her go greet their friend.

"How long a drive did Cindy and Anne have to make?" Mary wondered as she took a seat between her husband and Mole.

"About forty-five minutes," Alec answered. "They've been working non-stop on that house. Cindy figures they'll have it done in a few more weeks."

"I am just in love with what they did with our country house," Mary nodded as she sighed softly. "Cindy has quite an eye for the urban eclectic."

"And Anne balances it out with her rustic homey feeling," Liana offered. "Just like the pair of them."

"Jack! Jack! Get it!" they heard one of the kid's yell out then and Alec's head turned to regard the children playing. He saw his son make a dive that would seem impossible for a normal child, but his boy made it with ease. It wasn't the fact that he drove one knee into the ground though that had Alec wincing. It was the look on his son's face when he came up with the ball he'd kept from going into the goal as the boy's eyes searched instantly for his mother.

As did Alec.

But Max, who had been determinedly marching over to greet Cindy and Cindy's wife, simply paused to wave at her son and give him a thumbs up before she moved on. Alec saw Jonathon relax and then and only then, accept the congratulations of his teammates before the game got underway again.

"Problem?" Soren asked wisely, used to the troubled look on Alec's face when family matter's were bothering him.

"Nothing," Alec frowned. "It's nothing."

"Max not like Jack for nickname," Joshua provided softly.

"Didn't she have a brother named Jack?" Liana wondered aloud and both Joshua and Alec nodded.

"Yeah," Alec sighed. "He died when he was a kid. But that's not so unusual given the givens."

"Oh, that must have been rough," Mary sympathized. "And I can see now why she always insisted upon Jonathon."

"Yeah," Alec murmured again, leaning back in his seat. His eyes watched his son, who still seemed a little apprehensive as his eyes flicked to his mother repeatedly. "She used to have a meltdown every time someone tried to shorten it." He grinned momentarily and rubbed at his ear. "She doesn't like Johnny either. But some of the kids at school have been calling him Jack. Which I know Jonathon doesn't mind, because it sounds tougher and just because he's my son, doesn't mean that he doesn't have to prove himself with the older kids every now and then."

"I guess fitting in with your peers no matter your abilities is always gonna be rough," Soren nodded. They quieted then as Max returned with Cindy and Anne in tow.

"What are we all discussing?" Max asked with amusement at the sudden quieting at the table. She gestured to her friends behind her as Cindy and Anne pulled up two more chairs. "Everyone, you all remember Cindy, Anne?"

There were nods and greetings. But it was easy for the newcomers to see that they were stepping into something heavy. Max didn't sit, as she was carrying the gift that her son's godmother had brought for the boy.

"The boys were just surprised you were so calm about Jonathon," Mary announced, deciding, as she was wont to do, though only in a private conversation and not public, such as attending a political event with her husband, to just cut through the bull.

"What about him?" Max wondered, seeming truly puzzled. "Is he hurt?" she asked calmly of her husband.

"Doesn't seem to be," Alec offered and then cringed a little as another of the kid's used the dreaded appellation once more.

"Oh, that," Max chuckled in realization, obviously hearing it too. She rubbed one hand across her husband's shoulders and back and then stilled it for a moment as she included everyone at the table in her glance. "It's no big deal."

"Yeah?" Cindy scoffed, easily picking up the matter, since her ears worked just as well as another's. And these kids were being anything but quiet. "You sayin' that now girl, but is Alec gonna be getting' an earful after da party be done?"

"No," Max chuckled. She glanced over at her son and beamed. "I assume Alec filled you in."

"About your brother?" Soren asked a little delicately and Max nodded to him. "A little."

"Yeah, well, the other day, I realized that today, Jonathon would do something my brother Jack never did," she offered.

"What's that babe?" Alec wondered. Her hand slid again and squeezed at the shoulder closest to her. His hand stole up to cover it.

"He made it to ten," Max offered, just the slightest bit tremulous. "And I knew, hey, if he can make it ten, he'll make another ten and ten more after that."

"Kind of like a curse that was lifted or something, huh?" Mole grunted and Max's smile returned.

"I don't think he was actually cursed in the first place," she pointed out wryly, "but yeah, something like that. If he likes the nickname, then whatever. I know who he is and he knows. He's the one that has to live with it the rest of his life."

"You sure babe?" Alec pressed, needing to be sure, since it would literally kill him for Max to hurt in any way shape or form.

"I'm sure," Max nodded and then turned to lift her hand to cup it around her mouth. "Jack!" she yelled, certain to be heard across the expanse. "Call the game, Jack! It's time to eat!"

Alec swiveled around to see his son's astonishment and then grin, just like his own, before the boy called out some instructions to his teammates and the ball was dropped in position and the stampede of hungry mini transgenics was on. "Christ," he muttered. "I hope Emily's ready for them."

"She is," Max nodded. "I'm just going to put this with the rest of the presents and get my plate."

"You sure you wanna brave that mob?" Ward piped up and shook his head.

"Don't have to," Max supplied cheekily. "Emily put a plate together for me before any of the kids went in. She and I arranged that already. After all, she agrees that I shouldn't wait to eat when I'm hungry."

"Well, no," Alec agreed slowly, confused, because his wife of over a decade had had a propensity to making sure that everyone else was taken care of first, before she'd look to herself. Sometimes that had narrowed to be just he and Jonathon and he'd never much liked it. So seeing her acceding to previously stated admonitions was sort of... "What's up babe?"

"Please, don't you remember what my appetite was like before?" she teased and then turned to her oldest friend, who had gasped in recognition. She shifted Cindy and Anne's present to her hip and rubbed one hand over her stomach. "But we're definitely naming this one Evelyn."

"Evelyn?" Alec repeated dumbly, as he stared up at his wife. "Max? Wha-!"

"Hey! You said!" she protested good naturedly. "Remember? If you got Jack, then I got to name out next one? Just took me a while to get to it."

Alec's eyes widened in realization of what she was saying and his eyes darted to her stomach. "Evelyn?" he choked out again.

"Seriously Alec!" Mole scoffed with a bark of laughter. "You didn't notice the mellow out? We haven't seen that in what Max, ten years, plus eight months?"

"Exactly," Max giggled. The lizard transhuman rose from his seat and skirted the table.

"Lemme take that in and you resuscitate your husband before he expires from the shock," he decided, taking the present from her as Alec scooted his chair back to pull Max down to his lap while he kissed her soundly. Even the sound of their son calling from the back door of the house for them didn't interrupt their private moment of joy.

"Mom! Dad!" he called plaintively. "Mo-om! Emily wants to know if Aunty Gem is back with the cupcakes yet. C'mon Dad! Gross!"

There were chuckles from all over as Mole reached the boy and clapped one hand to his shoulder. "Don't worry about it kid, just avert your eyes like the rest of us do."

"Right," Jack scoffed. "You don't have to live with them."

"Yeah, well, your mom was just spreading a little good news," Mole supplied as he herded the boy back into the house."

"Oh yeah, what?" the sandy haired mini version of Alec asked.

"Remember what you asked Santa Mole for last year?" the lizard man prompted and Jack's eyes grew a little distant before he glanced up at the man.

"Yeah," he said carefully and then his eyes widened as he took in the news. "Seriously?" he demanded and Mole just smirked. He couldn't contain the kid as he tore off again.

The boy burst out of the house, making a beeline straight for his parents. Alec who was still in a slight amount of shock for not having noticed any symptoms yet and Max teasing him about her reasoning as to why this one was a girl. Much more considerate of her mother. But just as ravenous as her brother. They clammed up as the boy reached them and skidded to a halt by the patio table.

"Is it true?" he demanded, not the least bit out of breath.

"Is what true, kiddo?" Alec grunted as he leaned around his wife to see his son.

"Are you pregnant, Mom?" Jack demanded with all the seriousness he could muster. Max raised a single eyebrow and when she felt Alec's soothing hand on her back, knowing that he was leaving it up to her to tell him now if she wanted, she relaxed.

"Yeah Jack, I am," she nodded, smiling slightly, although slightly careful. "What do you think?"

"You called me Jack," he reminded her and she smiled widely and reached to cup his cheek.

"I know."

"And you're havin' a baby?" he went on. She nodded and the smirk that he gave her was so adorable that she just wanted to smother his face in kisses, kind of like she did to his father when she was in the right mood to deal with Alec's cockiness.

"What's the verdict, kid?" Alec wondered, watching his son carefully as well and couldn't help but burst out laughing at Jack's succinct proclamation.

"Best... birthday... ever!"


End file.
